


Love is a Wasteland

by Pan_Dragon_Gurl



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Blood and Injury, Canon Related, Canon-Typical Violence, Dreams and Nightmares, Drunkenness, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Ghouls, Goodneighbor (Fallout), Gun Violence, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Medical, Medical Jargon, My First Work in This Fandom, Oral Sex, Playing Doctor, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sanctuary Hills (Fallout), Sex, Shameless Smut, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Snark, Spoilers, Vaginal Sex, Violence, Work In Progress, hooker with a heart of gold trope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2020-08-14 06:02:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20187469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pan_Dragon_Gurl/pseuds/Pan_Dragon_Gurl
Summary: We meet Nora, the "Sole Survivor" of Vault 111 a few weeks after she wakes up from her cryopod.  Her husband Nate is dead, shot to death by unknown assailants while he was protecting their baby, Shaun. Nora is determined to avenge her husband and find her child by almost any means necessary.  She learns to make her way in this new post-war world with the help of an unlikely ally.Also, consider this your SPOILER WARNING as this story takes place in-game and touches on major plot points for both the Sole Survivor/main story line but also for MacCready's companion quest.





	1. The Merc with the Mouth

**Author's Note:**

> Working title was "Gunners & Roses"
> 
> A work-in-progress about my favorite Fallout 4 companion.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora, the "Sole Survivor" of Vault 111 has awoken from her cryopod after witnessing the murder of her husband, Nate and the kidnapping of her only child, Shaun. She has spent only a couple weeks in the new "Commonwealth" wasteland and has arrived in Goodneighbor looking for answers and allies.

Nora tread down the stairs of the once-bustling subway station. The curves of the arches of the ancient tunnels still held their elegant shape but looked out of place amongst the speakeasy atmosphere of The Third Rail. Ghouls and non-ghouls alike peppered the seats in the lounge; a sight that Nora was still getting used to. A singer with a sultry textured voice crooned from a small stage in the corner of the lounge, while a Mister Handy tended bar. Nora strolled up to the counter. If her intel was correct, she simply had to buy a drink from Whitechapel Charlie and he could offer her a job or two. If she was going to survive in this hellscape, she needed money. She needed allies.

“Hey there, are you Whitechapel Charlie?” Nora asked the hovering robot behind the counter.

“Wot’s it to ye?” the “Mister Handy” gruffed back in a thick cockney accent.

_ ‘Charming’ _ Nora thought snidely to herself, maybe this would be harder than she thought.

“I am. I’m Nora, I’m new around here and was told you were the man -er- robot to talk to.” 

“Look luv, this is a bar. I am a bartender. You order drinks, I serve drinks. End of transaction. You want sumfin or not?” Charlie’s mechanical innerds whirred in what Nora could only assume was annoyance. So much for all Mister Handys being polite like Codsworth.

“Right, I’ll have a beer. Please.”

“Twelve caps up front, luv. No tabs.”

Nora fished out twelve rusty bottle caps from her side pouch and placed them on the counter. ‘This lead better pay off’ she thought, at this rate she was going to run out of caps. She was down to her last 300 or so. Charlie swiftly and deftly scooped them up and replaced them with a bottle of beer. Nora took a small sip from the bottle whose label had long since disintegrated. The beer was cold-ish and slightly flat, but otherwise more refreshing than she expected. She took a seat at the bar and nursed the beer, listening to the singer. 

After about twenty minutes, Charlie hovered over to her end of the bar. “So, since you’re new ‘round ‘ere, I got a proposition for ye,” Charlie spoke conspiratorially. “I have a problem that requires a solution with no loose ends. It pays 250 caps once completed, and I believe Mayor ‘ancock might take it as a personal kindness to have this done quickly. What d’ye say?”

“What precisely does this _ problem _ entail?” Nora asked. She needed the caps, but was she getting in over her head?

“Let’s just say there are several undesirables in our warehouse district who are engaging in business that is not welcome here in Goodneighbor. The mayor is concerned about a possible coup and would like the rats taken care of quickly. No witnesses.” 

“How many _ rats _ are we talking about here?” Nora asked.

“My sources say at least seven. Heavily armed. I suggest not going alone, but it still needs to be done without drawing too much attention.” Charlie replied.

“Well, I’m traveling alone at the moment,” Nora’s heart sank. She really needed those caps and if she could ingratiate herself to Hancock by doing a job, that could prove even more valuable than just money. Her time as a military medic long before the world ended taught her how to handle combat, but she wasn’t foolish enough to try to take out seven armed men on her own.

“Ah, well, coincidentally, I do know of a mercenary for hire who ‘appens to have a name for himself. I never asked him because, frankly, I don’t like ‘em. Per’aps he would accompany you for the right price.”

“Deal.” Nora reached her hand across the bar to carefully shake Charlie’s pincer-like appendage. He shook her hand gently. “Good luck, luv.”

“Where can I find this gun-for-hire?” Nora asked, getting to her feet.

“Lucky for you, right down that ‘allway.” Charlie indicated a dimly lit hallway to the right. “Watch your back, with that one, luv. Daisy vouches for his trustworthiness, but MacCready’s a wild card.”

***

Nora marched down the red-lit hallway with as much courage as she could fake. She’d obviously never hired a mercenary before, but apparently they were quite commonplace here in “the commonwealth.” She wasn’t crazy about the idea of hiring someone to help her kill people, but if she was going to dispose of these shady warehouse characters, she was going to need all the help she could get. The sound of arguing from around the corner distracted Nora from her thoughts. She veered right into a cozy outcove at the end of the hallway to find three men arguing.

“Why don’t you and your girlfriend take a hike. I’m done with you!” the smaller of the three men barked at the other two.

“I’m not standing here to listen to this shit!” the larger of the men threw his hands up in disgust and stormed off down the hall nearly running into Nora on his way.

“This isn’t over, MacCready,” The third man growled as he poked the smaller one in the chest, “We catch you sniping in Gunner territory and you’ll pay.” He stormed off down the hall, also nearly running over Nora.

MacCready stood stiffly staring after them for a moment. He seethed quietly. Nora could see his jaw clenching as he ground his teeth. Once the two men were out of sight, he visibly relaxed. He exhaled violently and cracked his knuckles. He absently eyed Nora before walking over to a crushed velvet armchair in the corner of the alcove, he sat. Nora stood awkwardly for a moment before clearing her throat. MacCready glanced up at her, raising an eyebrow.

“MacCready?” She asked.

“Who’s askin?”

“I am.”

“If you’re with Winlock and Barnes, you can shove off with them.” He barked dismissively.

“They friends of yours?” Nora quipped, trying to sound braver than she felt.

“Look lady, I’m not looking for friends. So if you’re selling something or preaching about some hokey religion, don’t waste your breath or my time. Looking to hire my gun? Then we’ll talk.” MacCready waved dismissively.

“Alright. You’re direct, I can respect that,” Nora changed tactics, “How much?”

MacCready’s expression relaxed slightly, “200 caps. Up front.”

_ ‘Shit _,’ Nora thought. His price was much higher than she expected. But, she needed caps and allies. Maybe she could talk him down some. 

“Before I agree to your price, tell me about those two men you were arguing with just now.”

“No one you need to concern yourself with, dollface. Just a couple a morons trying to make trouble for me,” MacCready sighed. 

“Hmm, and if I hire you, what’s to stop them from making trouble for me?” Nora asked shrewdly.

“Heh, well that’d be me, Angel.” MacCready winked at her as he rose to his feet. 

He stood at a full height of 5’10” tops. His military fatigues and tan duster hid a thin frame. His sharp facial features reflected a life of hardship that aged his 22 year-old face. 

“If 200 seems steep, I promise you won’t find a better shot than me for that price.” His voice oozed arrogance and Nora wrinkled her nose slightly at the scent of stale cigarettes when MacCready spoke. Although his demeanor irritated her, she saw a twinkle of boyish charm in his deep blue eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Look, I could use the caps, let’s say 175 caps? We got a deal?” MacCready reached out his hand.

“175? You have a reputation Mr. MacCready. I hope you’re worth it,” Nora shook his hand firmly.

“Well, I aim to please.” MacCready winked at her. He busied himself gathering his pack in the corner of the alcove while Nora counted out 175 caps, this might take a while.

MacCready handed her a leather drawstring pouch to deposit the payment into, then stowed the jingling pouch deep within his pack. “So, where we headed, boss?”

“First, we’re taking care of some local trouble, then we’ll see from there.” Nora replied matter-of-factly.

MacCready's face briefly flashed a hint of disappointment, “Alright. Local trouble. Fun.” he retorted dryly.

“Think of it as a kind of trial run so I know what to expect from you, and you from me. Plus, I don’t want to go too far in case you decide to fuck me and run off with my investment.” Nora warned.

“Oh, don’t you worry, dollface, fucking costs extra,” MacCready winked as he sauntered past her down the hallway , exiting The Third Rail before she could respond. 

“Charlie better be right about this asshole.” Nora muttered to herself as she turned to follow him.

Nora found MacCready waiting for her outside. “If you don’t mind, boss, I’m going to stash me things somewhere safe while we’re in town. Be right back,” MacCready said turning to leave.

“Wait, why didn’t you just leave it inside? Nora was growing frustrated. She just wanted to get this job over with so she could get paid and then probably be done with this MacCready character.

“Ha! Leave it in _ that _ place?! Not on your life, sweetheart. I have somewhere safer in mind. Be back in two shakes.” He walked towards the front gate of town but headed left towards an alley.

“Fine, but hurry up. You’re on the clock!” Nora shouted after him, huffing over to sit on a nearby bench. MacCready raised an arm to wave in acknowledgement without turning to look at her before rounding the corner into the alley.

‘_ What an absolutely exasperating man _,’ Nora thought to herself. She started to wonder if it was a mistake to hire him. Maybe she should have brought Codsworth or even Dogmeat with her instead of leaving them back at her house. No, she couldn’t bring herself to put Codsworth in harm’s way, he was the last link to her old life, if she lost him, it would feel like she had nothing left. Dogmeat was better off helping guard the neighborhood with the others. The world may have gone to shit, but she had to think of the others’ wellbeing also. So, MacCready would have to do for now. She just had to stay focused on the task at hand. Maybe MacCready could do most of the killing and she could just cover him. He was a mercenary, after all, he had to know what he was doing. She wasn’t quite so worried about whether or not he lived through the night. Nora shocked herself at her cold way of thinking, but her goal of finding Shaun and finding the man who took him -who took her life from her- that had to come first.

Suddenly, Nora realized she’d been sitting on the bench for a while lost in her thoughts. Shit. How long had she sat there?! “Oh god, I’m so stupid.” she cursed at herself realizing that MacCready had probably just given her the slip, if he was out in the wasteland, she’d never find him in the decrepit ruins of Boston, and then that would be 175 caps down the drain. She launched herself off the bench in the direction she saw MacCready heading. She rounded the corner of the ally and slammed right into MacCready's chest. He stumbled slightly but remained upright as Nora sprawled out on the ground next to him. “Jesus, lady where’s the fire?” MacCready snapped at her, but after a moment, he reached down to offer her a hand.

“Shit.” Nora cursed more out of embarrassment than pain. Nothing felt broken, just her pride. “Did ya miss me already?” MacCready smirked as he bent down to help her. Nora scowled at him, but accepted his hand, standing slowly. Despite his smaller frame, MacCready was stronger than he looked.

“I was protecting my investment. I thought you might have taken the money and run.” Nora tried to sound anything but flustered. MacCready studied her for a moment. 

“Hey, I may kill people who need killing for a living, but I’m no cheat.” he chuckled at her. If he was offended he didn’t let on.

As irritating as he was, Nora noticed there was something charming about MacCready. And that annoyed her most of all. She brushed herself off taking stock of any injuries. 

“Everything alright?” MacCready asked. It actually sounded like he meant it.

“Yeah, I’ll live.”

“Ok, where to now, twinkletoes?”

“Nora,” she said flatly.

MacCready looked at her quizzically.

“My name. It’s Nora.” she said firmly, “No more cutesy nicknames, MacCready.”

“Alright. Most clients don’t off their name, so I don’t ask. Sometimes it’s safer that way. But you’re the boss.”

Nora shot him a warning glare. 

“Nora.” he added quickly, hands up in mock surrender and a crooked smile on his face.

Somehow, him saying her name irked Nora even more than the stupid pet names. She rolled her eyes and turned to trudge back to the bench she had come from with MacCready following silently behind her.

The bench next to The Third Rail sat at an angle facing away from a nearby alley, the alley that housed the warehouse Whitechapel Charlie had told her about. If she sat on the bench she could still turn her head and see the faded red side door to the warehouse, even in the fading light of early evening. Perfect.

“What are we doing?” MacCready asked louder than Nora would have liked.

“Shh. Shut up and sit down.” Nora hissed at him. She sat closest to the alley to her left, and MacCready joined her on the bench to her right. Nora tried to casually eye the warehouse. She noticed a shady-looking man smoking a cigarette on the fire escape of the warehouse. He was watching the town square below. Damn. How long had he been standing there? Otherwise, she noticed little movement inside the dusty cracked windows of the aging warehouse.

MacCready shifted on the bench beside her. He leaned in closer, Nora could feel his breath on her ear. 

“So, what are we doing?” He whispered. 

She tried not to flinch as his breath tickled her neck. She turned to look at him. His expression was one of genuine curiosity with only a tiny spark of mischief that never seemed to leave his eyes. She smiled slightly, in spite of everything, 

“We are watching that warehouse until sundown. Hopefully, then it will be time to go in and take care of a rat problem,” Nora replied in a low voice.

“Ha! Lady you hired me for a molerat extermination, this’ll be the easiest money I ever made,” MacCready laughed at her, “Hell, why wait, we can do it now.”

Nora grabbed him by the front of his shirt as he moved to stand and pulled him close to her face, their noses almost touching. 

“No, not a _ molerat _ problem. Nora growled through gritted teeth. “I need you to stop running your mouth for a second and understand what I am saying. We are here to take care of a _ rat _ problem. A rat problem in a green fedora. A rat problem for Hancock. Quietly. Cleanly.” She stared into his eyes.

“Oh. A _ rat _ problem,” MacCready nodded with understanding. Nora slowly released his shirt from her grasp, but didn’t move away. 

“Good we understand each other,” she said.

“You know if you had wanted to cuddle with me on the bench all you had to do was ask.” MacCready winked at her. Nora pushed away from him, scowling, scooting down the bench as far from him as she could get. MacCready laughed at her. Nora stared at the red door in the alley. 

MacCready stretched and rested his arms on the back of the bench. After a moment he slid closer to Nora. She ignored him. He turned his head casually to speak softly in her ear, “You know, if you’re trying to be casual and stealthily watch that door, you might not want to be so obvious about it.” Nora turned to glare at hm. “Just a suggestion,” he gave a look of mock innocence but his eyes still betrayed the ever-present twinkle of mischief.

Nora glanced around the square and back up at the fire escape. The man was still standing there smoking, watching them. She also saw an armed neighborhood watchman staring at her from across the square. Dammit. Covert ops were never her thing. Slowly she turned to MacCready.

“What would you suggest?” 

MacCready studied her face for a moment, smiling. ‘_ Ugh he’s gloating. Smug bastard _.’ Nora thought.

“C’mere,” MacCready jerked his head indicating Nora should come closer to him. She stared at him suspiciously.

“I’m serious, no more messing around,” MacCready said gently sliding closer to her. Nora relaxed slightly but watched him carefully.

“If you don’t want to tip off that watchman or anyone else prowling about,” MacCready said slowly in a low voice, “we need to look casual.” Nora glanced sideways at the watchman still eyeballing her.

“Look, I have a good view of the warehouse from here as long as you stay turned towards me. We can just look like two normal people having an intimate conversation. I’ll watch the alley and no one will notice.” MacCready leaned back to glance at Nora’s face while slowly sliding his arm behind her shoulders on the bench.

Nora understood what he was getting at. She didn’t love the idea of getting cozy with this stranger, but what he said made sense. She scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder so that he could casually steal glances at the alley. He didn’t smell bad like she expected he would. 

“Ok, I get it. Did I fuck this job up?” Nora asked in his ear.

MacCready chuckled quietly, “Naw, I think we’re ok. But it would help if I knew exactly what I was looking for.”

“Right. All I know is the target wears a bright green fedora. Once he arrives, we wait until dark, then move in and take care of the lot of them.” Nora whispered back.

“Alright. And by _ we _, you mean the hired gun,” MacCready growled. “This job might cost you extra.”

“No, I mean _ we _.” Nora protested. “I’m not going to send you on a suicide mission, I’m not a monster.”

MacCready stared into her eyes. “Alright. _ We _. You’re the boss,” he said sincerely.

He suddenly glanced over her shoulder, “Hug me,” he whispered hastily.

“What?!”

“Hug me. Now.” MacCready hissed throwing his arms around her and pulling her into an embrace.

“What the hell?!” Nora resisted, but he was stronger than her.

“Shh, green hat. Coming down the alley now.” MacCready whispered urgently in her ear while he watched the alley.

“What’s happening?” Nora stopped struggling.

“He’s walking down the alley. Three goons with him. Approaching the red door.”

Nora shifted uncomfortably in MacCready's arms. His bandolier was digging into her chin. 

“Ouch, you’re squeezing too tight.”

“Sorry.” MacCready loosened his grip but still embraced her. “Ok, they’re inside now.”

MacCready released Nora after the red door had shut. “Alright, boss. How do you want to do this?”

“I would like the sun to set more before we go in. Maybe 10 minutes?” Nora said studying the darkening sky. MacCready nodded in agreement. He glanced around the square. The watchman that had been eyeing Nora finally lost interest and ambled down the street away from the square, but as he glanced up to the fire escape, MacCready noticed two thugs in grey fedoras had joined the smoking man. All three men stared intently at Nora and MacCready.

MacCready gently slid his arms around Nora again pulling her close slowly so as not to startle her. 

“Alright, don’t panic but we might be about to be made. Your smoking friend up there has two new friends. Please don’t freak out while I stick my face closer to your neck.”

MacCready moved to rest his chin on Nora’s left shoulder, his lips accidentally brushing the nape of her neck, but his eyes watched the three thugs watching them. He felt Nora flinch slightly, but she didn’t fight him this time. One of the grey fedora clad men nudged the other two with his elbow. MacCready saw him make a comment under his breath, the other two seemed to chuckle lightly, still watching them. MacCready also noticed that he really liked the way Nora smelled. 

“What are they doing?” Nora turned her head slowly to whisper in MacCready's ear. 

“Still staring, but I’m hoping they think we’re just couple about to get frisky.” MacCready pulled his face slowly away from Nora’s neck but brought it up to her face to meet her eyes, their noses almost touching. “They’re still watching us, but maybe less intently, now.”

“Well what do you think we should do. We can’t sit here staring at each other until they get bored, can we?” Nora was starting to get anxious.

MacCready considered her question for a moment. Behind them, one of the thugs made smooching noises while the other two chuckled cruelly. Then a mischievous smile slowly crept across MacCready’s face. “I have an idea. But you’re not gonna like it.”

Nora released an exasperated sigh. “Try me,” she said through gritted teeth.

“What would you do if I kissed you, and grabbed your ass?” MacCready asked with a grin.

Nora pushed him away, studying his expression. “I would punch you in the head and then be tempted to shoot you.” 

MacCready laughed quietly, “Well that’s fair. But let’s say instead of shooting me, we just give those fellas up there a show, and then you storm off down the alley out of sight and I join you when the coast is clear.”

Understanding dawned on Nora’s face. 

“You’re right, I don’t like it. But the thought of you kissing me is only slightly scarier than getting shot by those guys up there.”

A surprised laugh escaped MacCready's mouth. “Ooo, you flatter me,” he snarked.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Nora answered after considering the idea for a moment. “But if you stick your tongue in my mouth I really _ will _ shoot you.”

“No tongue, I promise,” MacCready chuckled, glancing up at the fire escape. The thugs were still watching, less intently than before, but still on guard. “Alright, boss, we only got one shot at this, so let’s make it count.”

MacCready pulled Nora in to kiss her. Her lips felt soft and warm against his. He slowly slid his hand to her back. Nora stiffly kissed him back, awkwardly putting her hands on his shoulders. MacCready slowly slid his hand from her back down to her hip, he almost forgot he wasn’t supposed to enjoy this. After a moment he gave her left buttock an exaggerated slap.

Nora shoved him off of her so hard, he was actually a little scared she might shoot him for a second. Nora wound up and slapped him hard across the face before standing and storming off down the alley and out of sight.

MacCready sat holding his face. Jesus, she didn’t hold back. “Oh come on, baby, don’t be like that!” he called after her.

“Fuck off!” MacCready heard Nora scream back as she continued down the alley.

He couldn’t help but laugh at that. The laughter he heard from the three thugs on the fire escape also confirmed that their performance was a success. He threw his hands up in exaggerated disgust, “Women, am I right?” he called up to the men on the fire escape.

“Fuck off!” one of the men shouted at him, and all three laughed uproariously at that. Eventually, the smoking man ventured back inside, leaving the other two talking quietly to each other.

MacCready lay down on the bench placing his cap low over his eyes, but from his reclined position he could still easily see the two men on the fire escape. He feigned sleep. After about 10 minutes the remaining men also went inside. Another few minutes went by. MacCready finally sat up slowly, stretched and casually walked around the warehouse the opposite direction that Nora had gone, rubbing his still-stinging face.

Nora sat trying to steady her breathing behind a dumpster around the corner from the warehouse. She dared a quick glance around the corner. She could see the fire escape that wrapped around the building, where the three men had been watching her and MacCready. The men had vacated. 

“Son of a bitch. His stupid plan actually worked,” she whispered to herself. 

He was arrogant and irritating, but Nora had to admit that MacCready was clever and had some sense of morality sense he didn’t just take the money and run. At least not yet. And if she was being completely honest with herself, it hadn’t been the worst thing in the world to kiss him. His lips were surprisingly soft and while he held her firmly, the kiss itself was unexpectedly tender. If she didn’t find his personality so abrasive, she might have actually enjoyed being kissed by MacCready. While she waited in the alley she became very aware of the oppressive loneliness that had plagued her in the weeks since she woke up from her cryopod. It was only in the quiet moments like these that it grew almost too painful to bear. She wished Nate were here to help her. She wished she could be lying in her bed next to Nate, with baby Shaun swaddled between them. Nora ached for her child, for the life that should have been. Tears stung her eyes and threatened to escape, but quiet footsteps behind her stopped them. She turned quickly reaching for her pistol on her hip. MacCready crept up to where she crouched. She quickly wiped her eyes and sniffed and MacCready joined her behind the dumpster.

“I think your ridiculous plan worked,” Nora conceded.

“Of course it did. I’m not just a pretty face, you know.” MacCready boasted with a grin. 

“Well, now comes the hard part,” Nora whispered seriously. “I think we should sneak in through the side door and pick them off one by one, as quietly and quickly as possible. Unless of course you have another brilliant plan that involves feeling me up again.” She joked.

“Oo, so she does have a sense of humor,” MacCready smiled. “But, whatever you say boss.” 

“Let’s move,” Nora commanded in a hushed tone.

Nora crept slowly down the alley towards the side door to the warehouse. She carefully tested the handle of the red door. Locked. No matter. She reached for her lockpick in her back pocket and made short work of the ancient lock. 

“Wow. You’re gonna have to teach me that trick,” MacCready whispered impressed.

Nora opened the door, slipping silently inside. MacCready followed, closing the door behind them.


	2. The First Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MacCready and Nora take their partnership to the next level and leave Goodneighbor.

The first night MacCready traveled with Nora outside of Goodneighbor was uncomfortable, to say the least. Even after working together doing random jobs for Whitechapel Charlie for over a week, neither was still 100% trusting of the other. They had an uneasy partnership, at best. Nora would meet MacCready outside the Third Rail every morning after getting a new task from Charlie, they would do the job, get paid, and then go their separate ways until the next day. Nora rented a room each night and MacCready slept, well wherever he slept each night; Nora didn’t really care.

When the time came for Nora to leave Goodneighbor, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go it alone. She’d made some caps and she had won favor with Hancock, but he had a city to run. Besides, the fact that he was a ghoul still sort of made Nora squeamish, so she wasn’t crazy about asking him to accompany her on her journey. She had made at least a fair-weather ally in MacCready. Maybe for the right price he would travel with her to this Diamond City place. Hancock said there was a detective there who might be able to help her find Shaun. It couldn’t hurt to ask.

“So, I think it’s about time I move on from Goodneighbor,” Nora stated as she met MacCready at their usual spot outside The Third Rail.

“Oh, ok, boss.” MacCready said, betraying a hint of disappointment. “It’s been fun.” He offered his hand.

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about that. I’m heading to a place called Diamond City. Do you know it?”

“Oh yeah. Haven’t been there in years.” MacCready replied nostalgically.

“Is it far?” Nora asked.

“No, not much more than two day’s travel southwest of here. It’s just climbing through a lot of ruins and, you know, dangerous. Otherwise easy to get to.” MacCready replied.

“How much would you charge me for an escort?” Nora asked

MacCready whistled, “Escort, huh? Well, lots of old ruins, toppled buildings, super mutants, raiders? That’s nasty business…”

“How much?” Nora pressed.

“I don’t know...you’ve been straight with me so far, I can probably cut you a deal.” He said scratching his chin thoughtfully.

“How. Much.” Nora snapped.

MacCready laughed at her, “Calm down, same price as before, I just like yankin your chain.”

“If it’s so dangerous, why aren’t you asking for more than before?” Nora narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

“Maybe I like your style, maybe I’m just bored of Goodneighbor.” MacCready said coyly.

“Fine. I’m going to pick up some supplies from Daisy, then we head out?” 

“Deal.” MacCready shook her outstretched hand.

***

“We should look for a place to make camp soon.” MacCready stated in a low voice, slowing his pace and glancing up at the darkening sky.

They’d been walking for most of the day, and while Nora was exhausted, she wanted to press ahead to get to Diamond City as fast as possible.

“Already? Aren’t we almost there?” Nora asked

“No, still at least a day’s walk, but you don’t want to be stuck further in the ruins after dark.” MacCready stopped, searching for something. “That looks good over there.” He gestured to a small alcove in a crumbled building. “You don’t mind sleeping outside, do you, princess?” He walked towards the alcove.

Nora rolled her eyes at him, but followed. MacCready set down his pack, then sat with his back to the wall in a corner of the building alcove, and proceeded to clean his rifle. Nora sat near him and searched in her pack for some dried rations to eat. They sat in silence.

After MacCready finished cleaning his rifle, he moved on to cleaning his pistol. Nora watched as his hands moved methodically, stripping the weapon, cleaning its pieces, and then reassembling it. Nora had to admit his technique was decent, he was clearly acquainted with his firearms. Field-stripping her weapons was the one thing she remembered being any good at during basic training.

“Were you a soldier?” Nora asked quietly.

MacCready stopped cleaning briefly and visibly stiffened his shoulders. “No,” he replied coolly, then continued reassembling his pistol.

“Well, you know your way around a gun, and you seem to wear fatigues often, I just assumed.” Nora tried again.

“I’m not a soldier.” MacCready spat, “Never was.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Nora responded softly.

MacCready finished reassembling his sidearm, loaded it and holstered it. “No worries. I’ll take first watch.”

“Oh.” 

Nora suddenly realized she felt uncomfortable sleeping while a man she’d only known a week was watching her back. He had been loyal so far, but she still had misgivings about him. 

“No, I can take first watch.” she added quickly.

“All due respect, doll, I know the area and you clearly don’t. I’ll take the first few hours.” MacCready said.

“How do I know you won’t just skip out on me or kill me in my sleep?” Nora bristled.

“The same way I don’t know you won’t do the same when it’s your watch.” MacCready argued back.

“Well, I guess we’re at a stalemate, then.” Nora crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“Yeah, I guess we’re in for a sleepless night, then, huh sweetheart.” MacCready winked at her. 

Nora wrinkled her nose at him. What an infuriating man.

As the sun finished setting and the sky darkened, MacCready lit a cigarette as he watched the surrounding rubble diligently. Nora shivered slightly in the night air. She continued to sit a couple feet away from him but entertained the idea of sitting closer if only for the body heat. When the cigarette smoke wafted towards her, she thought better of it. She swatted the smoke away with her hand and stifled a cough.

“Could you not?”

MacCready turned to look at her in the moonlight. “What?” 

“The cigarette. Could you not?”

“Oh I’m sorry, _ princess _. Have I offended your delicate sensibilities?” He took another spiteful drag and blew the smoke in her direction.

“No. It’s just gross. And it’s terrible for you.”

“Well, most of us aren’t long for this world, lady. Gotta take your jollies where you can get them.” 

She scowled at him. “Well, can you abstain from it around me as a professional courtesy until we get to where we’re going? Then you can chain smoke your way to oblivion for all I care.”

MacCready sneered at her. He took another long spiteful drag and stubbed out his cigarette on the building wall next to him. “Happy?”

“No. But I’ll take what I can get.”

MacCready tried to hide a small chuckle. They both watched and listened to the quiet ruins around them for the next hour. Nora leaned against the building wall, trying to stay awake, but she was starting to drift to sleep. 

“Hey,” 

MacCready’s voice startled her from her dozing state. 

“Why don’t you lay down? I got your back, boss. Professional courtesy and all.”

Nora wanted to fight the sleep, to fight him, but she couldn’t anymore. 

“Thank you,” she murmured laying down on her bedroll, but resting her hand lightly on the barrel of her shotgun next to her.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll wake you in a couple hours.” MacCready said quietly.

Sleep took Nora quickly despite her discomfort on the cold hard ground. But her sleep was anything but restful. Images of Nate’s frozen dead face screaming silently at her from the cryopod haunted her. The vicious laughter of the man who shot him echoed in her ears. She reached out to grab Shaun but he wasn’t there. Where was her baby?! Nora opened her mouth to scream, but a rough hand held her mouth firmly. 

Nora was suddenly jostled awake.

“Hey, it’s ok. Hey, Nora.” A gentle but firm voice whispered in her ear. Nora tried to speak but the hand still held her mouth. Her eyes shot open but took a moment to adjust to the dark. Finally, MacCready's face came into focus in front of her.

“Hey. Don’t freak out. I had to make sure you wouldn’t scream. You were having a nightmare, a bad one from the sounds of it. But I think something out there has noticed we’re here.” MacCready whispered calmly in her ear. “I’m going to take my hand off your mouth now, but we need to be quiet.” MacCready did as he said and slowly released his hand from Nora’s mouth.

Nora took a deep breath and stretched her jaw. Her whole body was shaking and her face was wet with tears. She sat up, shaking her head to try to disperse the dream fog and clear her thoughts.

“You good?” MacCready asked quietly.

“Yeah, I’m ok.” Nora answered.

They sat listening. Nora could hear movement in the rubble about 100 feet away. The small sound of metal scraping on metal and metal on concrete echoed in the otherwise quiet ruins of Boston. 

“What is it?” Nora whispered.

“Don’t know. Hopefully just a radroach.” MacCready replied.

They sat listening for several minutes. Eventually, whatever it was that was rooting around in the ruins moved on. Nora breathed a sigh of relief. MacCready also exhaled sharply. 

“You ok?” MacCready asked softly as he turned to her. She couldn’t quite read his eyes in the dark, but his voice sounded genuine.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure? You’re still shivering.” 

Nora nodded. After watching her a moment, MacCready took off his duster and handed it to her.

“Here, I’m sweating.” He offered.

“I- no, I’m ok.” 

“Just take it.” MacCready grumbled, tossing the coat at her. 

Nora put the duster over her shoulders reluctantly. 

“Thank you.”

“Wake me if shit goes south.” MacCready gruffed as he curled up on his bedroll in the corner, his back to the wall. 

After several minutes watching the dark ruins around her, shotgun in hand, Nora heard MacCready's slow and even breathing behind her. She found it strangely comforting. She continued listening to him breathe while watching the quiet ruins of Boston until the first hints of sunlight started cresting over the horizon.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Gunners & Roses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: This chapter has some canon-typical violence and a minor medical procedure in it. If that makes you squeamish, you might want to skip this one.

After sunup, Nora shook MacCready awake. As he startled to consciousness, he instinctively reached for his pistol, but quickly became aware of his surroundings.

“Thanks for not killing me in my sleep,” he joked groggily.

“Same.” Nora replied. “Can we get going soon?

“Yeah, yeah. Hold on.” MacCready stretched.

They gathered their packs in silence. MacCready stuffed several pieces of jerky in his mouth as he rolled his bedroll up. Nora wasn’t hungry. Together, they trudged through the ruins of Boston, MacCready leading the way. After an hour of what Nora found to be a rather uneasy silence, she finally spoke.

“So, how did you become a mercenary?”

MacCready sighed aggressively, but didn’t answer.

After several minutes of even more uncomfortable silence, Nora tried again.

“Not much of a talker today?” 

MacCready stopped and spun around to glare at her.

“Look, the less you know about me, the safer we both are. Yeah, I tend to have a big mouth and it’s a wonder it hasn’t gotten me killed yet. Can you just forget you saw me arguing with the Gunners in Goodneighbor. It’s my risk to take being out here. They’re not your problem.”

“Wait, what are you talking about? I was just making conversation. What risk? What did you drag me into?!” 

“Wait, you weren’t- Shit, when am I gonna learn to shut my big mouth?!” MacCready swore.

“Fucking what did you drag me into?!” Nora shoved him.

“Alright, calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! Tell me what the fuck you mean by _ risk _ right now.” 

“Alright, alright. Jesus, you’re wound tight.” MacCready said as calmly as he could. “The two jerks I was arguing with in Goodneighbor last week were my former commanders when I used to run with The Gunners.”

“Gunners?”

“You’re not from the Commonwealth are you? The Gunners are a group of bloodthirsty mercs that will kill you as soon as look at you.”

“And you used to be one of them?” Nora was regretting having trusted him.

“Yeah, but I left. Didn’t like their style. And they don’t much like deserters, especially when they go freelance, like me. They see it as cutting into their business.”

“So by associating with you I now have a target painted on my back?! This is the kind of information that would have been useful to me a week ago.” Nora spat back.

“Look. Sorry I wasn’t more upfront, but we’re out here now, and I’m going to get you to Diamond City as promised, then you can be done with me.” 

“Fine.” Nora said through gritted teeth. She couldn’t very well find Diamond City on her own, plus she had already paid him, might as well get her money’s worth. She still didn’t like it.

They continued traipsing in silence until nightfall.

***

“Hmm. Probably still another hour or two away from Diamond City, but we should stop for the night.” MacCready paused near the doorway of the decrepit Hardware Town storefront. “I don’t love how open it is right here, but we’ll never make it there in the dark. Too many super mutants nearby. Maybe we can make camp in here tonight.” He said, indicating the dilapidated store.

“I thought we’d be there by now.” Nora complained.

“Look, lady, I don’t know what magical way you have to travel where you come from, but here, we walk everywhere. It takes a while to get places.” He hissed at her.

“God, why are you so pissy? I paid you, didn’t I? I just want to get there so we can be done with each other.” Nora bitched back at him, her voice rising.

“Oh nothing would make me happier. Now will you keep your voice down?” MacCready barked back.

They were so busy arguing they didn’t hear the raider run around the side of the building until it was too late. MacCready saw him first and shoved Nora out of the way. The raider slashed MacCready's arm with a butcher knife as he let out a crazed scream. MacCready dodged a second slash as best he could, but the raider rounded on him and went in for another stab. Nora steadied herself, aimed her shotgun true, and fired. The raider stumbled as half of his face dripped from his skull. His body jerked and lunged forward. Nora pumped another shell into the chamber and fired again, hitting the raider square in the chest. The lifeless body lurched backwards and fell into a pile of rubble. 

“Damn. Nice shot, boss.” MacCready stood staring at her in shock.

“You’re bleeding.” Nora motioned towards MacCready's left arm.

“I’ve had worse,” he replied glancing at his sleeve. “Bastard ripped my shirt.”

“I can look at it for you, “ Nora offered reaching gently for his arm, but he pulled away.

“It’s fine.”

“MacCready, let me look at it.” 

“Let’s get inside so we’re not so vulnerable.” MacCready replied, unholstering his pistol and carefully opening the door of Hardware Town.

He strafed carefully inside checking around corners and shelves until her was confident the room was clear. Nora followed him and watched him carefully, listening for any movement outside.

“Seems clear.” MacCready walked over and closed the front door of the shop. “Help me with this shelf?”

Together they dragged a large steel shelf over to the front door and wedged it under the rusty handle, hopefully that would deter anyone or anything from coming in during the night. Nora found a couple of aging but intact chairs next to a large wooden crate. She could use them as a makeshift exam area.

Now, let me look at your arm.” Nora held his wrist and led him to sit in one of the chairs. She turned on the light on her pipboy. It shone brightly in the dingy room.

“Wow. I haven’t seen one of those since I was a kid.” MacCready said in awe, admiring the pipboy on her wrist. 

Nora pulled out her piecemeal medkit. 

“Now let’s see what we’re dealing with.” Nora ripped the torn sleeve open further to look at the wound. 

“Hey! I like this shirt!” MacCready protested.

Nora braced his arm and forcefully ripped the sleeve more.

“Ow! Jesus god, woman, quit manhandling me!” 

“Shut up and let me look.” Nora prodded the skin around the cut gently. 

MacCready grunted in pain. “What are you a doctor or something?”

“Yeah, _ something _ like that.” Nora said absently as she examined the cut. It was a deep gash, but she could stitch it easily enough.

“I need you to hold still while I stitch you up. I don’t have anesthetic, so this is probably going to hurt. Like a lot.”

“I don’t know what that is, but do what you do what you gotta do, doc.” 

Nora sifted through her kit, she pulled out a few clean rags and handed one to MacCready. 

“Put pressure on it to stop the bleeding while I prep.”

He did as instructed.

Nora pulled out a spool of thread, a sewing needle, a bottle of vodka, and a cigarette lighter from her pack. Lastly, she pulled out a wooden spoon that originally came from her kitchen.

“Is that to spank me if misbehave?” MacCready taunted.

“No, jackass.” But Nora couldn’t help but smirk. 

Nora handed him the vodka. “Take a good swig of this, you’re going to want it.”

“Alright, let’s get this party started.” He took a gulp, then another, and handed the bottle back to her.

Nora took the vodka and poured some over her hands, then over the sewing needle and then over a long strand of thread she ripped from the spool. Next, she double-threaded the needle carefully. Finally, she held the lighter to the needle for a minute, and then doused it once again with vodka, thoroughly disinfecting it. Handing the wooden spoon to MacCready she instructed, “You’re going to want to bite down on this.”

He gave her a disbelieving look, but took the spoon from her anyway. “You know, this isn’t my first time, sweetheart.”

Nora rolled her eyes and slowly pulled back the rag on the wound. She took the bottle of vodka and poured it over the open gash in his arm.

“Christ on a crutch!” MacCready yowled.

“That’s what the spoon’s for.” Nora taunted in a sing-songy voice.

“Sure could use a cigarette right about now.” He grumbled out the side of his mouth.

“Shhh. Spoon. Now.”

MacCready glared at her, reached for the vodka again, took another long swig and quietly fit the spoon in between his teeth, breathing heavily. She made her first insertion of the needle into his skin. He continued to bleat in pain, biting the spoon so hard he thought he might snap it in half, all while Nora carefully sewed his wound closed. When she finished, she rinsed her hands in vodka and dried them on a clean rag. Lastly, she found her dwindling roll of gauze and wrapped it around the fresh stitches on MacCready's arm.

“There. Looks like you’ll live to fight another day.” she said, carefully putting her supplies back into her kit.

“Thanks, doc.” MacCready said, handing her the spoon back. Nora rinsed that in vodka too, then took a drink, herself.

“I’ll take first watch tonight. You should rest your arm.” Nora offered.

MacCready opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. He pulled his bedroll out of his pack and laid down in the corner while Nora sat on the chair. She turned off the bright light of her pipboy. After a while, Nora assumed MacCready was asleep, so it startled her when she heard him speak.

“Why did you shoot him?”

“What?” Nora turned to look at him, which was silly. It was too dark to make out more than just the vague shape of him.

“That raider came out of nowhere. Why didn’t you just run away and leave me? Why did you shoot him? Why help me?”

Nora thought for a moment. “I don’t know.” She really didn’t.

“Bullshit.”

Nora turned her pipboy light on so she could see MacCready's face. He flinched and squinted in the sudden brightness. He wore a thoughtful expression. He stood up and walked over to sit in the chair next to her.

“I...well, you pushed me out of the way first. You didn’t have to do that.” Nora pondered.

“Can’t let customers go and get all dead on my watch. Can’t get paid that way.”

“But, I already paid you.” Nora pointed out. “You could have just let him kill me.”

“Yeah, well maybe you caught me on a good day.” MacCready looked away.

“Now it’s my turn to cry bullshit.” Nora fired back. “I think you like people thinking you’re an asshole. But you might not be.”

“Might?” MacCready eyed her sideways.

“Jury’s still out on that one.”

MacCready let out a small sound that could have been a laugh, Nora couldn’t tell. He studied her. “Very few people have stuck their neck out for me like that before. I owe you one, boss.” 

He sounded very sincere, and that was not something Nora had come to expect from him. Truthfully, it weirded her out.

“No one’s stuck their neck out for you, MacCready? Shocking.” Nora sniped sarcastically at him.

MacCready laughed out loud. “Yeah I guess you noticed I’m not really what they call a _ people person _. I rub folks the wrong way. Or the right way, depending on who’s asking.” He winked at her. 

Yep there was that smartass she was expecting. Nora scowled at him, but that just made him laugh more. He stood up and returned to his bedroll. Nora turned off the light. After a moment, MacCready spoke again.

“For what it’s worth...thanks. I _ do _ owe you one though, doc.” His voice was earnest. 

“Rest.” Nora said softly. “And, for what it’s worth, you're welcome.”

***

When it came time to wake MacCready for his watch shift, Nora felt beyond exhausted. She had thought it prudent to let him sleep for a couple extra hours since he was injured. She had almost fallen asleep in the chair a few times before she decided to wake him. The chair creaked noisily when she stood up and stretched her back. She heard MacCready stir lightly.

“Shaun, honey let’s get you up now.” She said absently.

“Who’s Shaun?” MacCready asked quietly.

Nora realized what she had said. “What?”

“Shaun. Who is he?” 

Nora was silent. 

“You said his name the other night when you were dreaming. I didn’t ask then. But I gotta admit, I am curious.” MacCready stretched and stood up.

Nora remained quiet. Should she tell him? What would be the point? Not talking about Shaun was like pretending he didn’t exist and it destroyed her, but was it risky telling MacCready? She still wasn’t sure about him.

“Cause if he’s your boyfriend, or something, it’s pretty shitty that he’d just leave you out here to fend for yourself. Trust me, cupcake, you’re better off without hi-”

She marched up to MacCready and shoved him. Hard. It was all she could do to keep from slapping him across the face.

“Whoa, it was a jo-”

“My son.” Nora hissed at him before she could stop herself. “Shaun is my son.”

MacCready fell silent.

“Three people came and took him away. They shot my husband right in front of me and stole my baby. They just...they just took him.” Nora couldn’t stop her voice shaking, nor could she stop the tears flowing. It was like a dam had broken inside her; she had held this inside for so many weeks, she thought it would make her burst. 

MacCready stood dumbfounded. Nora crumpled to the floor, sobbing. Every atom in her body felt broken and she burned with rage and hurt and longing. She felt like she would never feel whole again. 

“I’m...so sorry,” MacCready's voice cracked with emotion. He quickly cleared his throat. He kneeled next to her and hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. Nora desperately leaned into his shoulder, crying into his shirt. She was so angry. She needed to hit someone. She pounded on his chest. Again. Again and again until she didn’t have the strength anymore. He didn’t stop her. Instead, he sat there and took it. After what felt like hours, Nora sat up slowly and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

“Sorry,” she sniffled.

“Ah, this shirt was ruined anyway.” MacCready joked gently.

Nora snickered in spite of everything. “You know what I mean,” she said softly.

“Yeah.” 

They sat in silence for several minutes.

“Look, I know I'm an arrogant ass, and you don’t have any reason to trust me, but I’m sorry. I’m going to make sure you get to Diamond City and I’ll do what I can to help you find your son.”

“What, really?” Nora asked in disbelief.

“Yeah. I owe you one, after all.” 

  
  
  



	4. Returning the Favor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Minor blood/injury in this chapter.

As time went on, Nora found as much as MacCready annoyed the shit out of her, having him travel with her was much better than travelling alone; he was very resourceful and a hell of a shot. He was also a sarcastic asshole, but he continued to surprise her with fleeting moments of kindness and loyalty, like when he would sneak off for a cigarette and think she didn’t notice. ‘_ At least he’s considerate enough to go away from me when he does. _’ 

It had been a couple of months since she had first hired him and they had since come to an understanding. He even made good on his promise to help her. He agreed to stick around Sanctuary HIlls for her while she investigated leads with Detective Valentine for a week. She wasn’t sure who took more convincing in that deal: MacCready or Codsworth.

But MacCready really showed his true colors when it came time to deal with Kellogg. He not only agreed to, but practically insisted on joining Nora to confront the monster that stole her life away from her. MacCready's sharpshooting was invaluable once Nora figured out how to get the Stealth Boy off of Kellogg’s wrist. The fight that ended Conrad Kellogg’s long and depressing life nearly ended Nora as well. MacCready ended up carrying a nearly unconscious Nora out of the Fort Hagen command center and taking refuge in a nearby bathroom. 

“Medkits, medkits, where are the goddamn medkits?!” MacCready frantically searched the deserted bathroom by lantern light. 

“My pack,” Nora said weakly from the grimy floor where MacCready had gently laid her down, blood trickling down her forehead. She felt dizzy. “I probably have a concussion and you’re gonna need to…” she trailed off, not quite able to finish the thought.

“Ok, ok, here we go. Gonna be fine now.” MacCready skidded on his knees next to her, four medkits in his hands.

Nora grunted as he shot her up with a stimpak.

“You’re gonna be ok.” 

“You trying to convince me or yourself?” Nora uttered weakly.

“Yeah, I don’t know how you do this, doc.”

“Well, you’re bedside manner could use some work.” Nora quipped playfully.

“Oh, no one’s ever complained about _ that _ before, sweetheart.” MacCready said suggestively.

“Oh you.” Norra giggled. “You’re pretty.” Nora slurred groggily, patting his cheek.

“Ho-okay there’s that concussion you were talking about.” MacCready bent down to prop her up against a nearby wall. 

Nora groaned in pain, head lolling to one side.

“You ok?” MacCready held her face in his hands while pressing a gauze pad to her head wound just below her hairline. 

“You’re eyes are blue. They’re nice.” Nora babbled.

“Ok you’re starting to be weird. Boss, I need you to focus. Tell me what to do here.” MacCready was growing concerned.

“Scan me.”

“Um...is that a euphemism I don’t know about?”

Nora stared at him, exasperated. Or at least she tried to stare at him; she was having trouble focusing.

“Pipboy. Scan me.” Her voice was growing weaker, her head fuzzier.

“Ok, never got to use one befo- Doc? Shit. Nora?!” MacCready yelled as Nora lost consciousness.

***

Somehow between Nora’s pipboy scanner and the smorgasbord of medical supplies he scavenged from the bathroom and Nora’s pack, MacCready was able to bandage the wounds she sustained in her shootout with Kellogg and monitor her condition. She slept throughout the night, MacCready keeping close watch over her. Nora finally came to sometime the next afternoon, MacCready sat leaning on the wall next to her, dozing lightly, her bandaged head resting in his lap.

“MacCready? What...where are we?”

MacCready started awake with a small gasp. He met her eyes, a smile of relief shone on his face.

“Hey, sleeping beauty.”

“Why are we in a bathroom? I feel hungover.” Nora sat up slowly, rubbing her neck.

“Oh, yeah, stimpaks can do that to ya.”

“How the fuck many did you give me?!” 

“A few.”

How many is a few?” Nora counted the five empty stimpak cartridges that littered the floor.

“I dunno, a few.”

“I highly doubt I needed _ five _ stimpaks.”

“Hey, you’re the doctor, but you weren’t exactly awake to ask for help, so I did my best!” MacCready spouted irritably. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

Nora realized she was being a jerk.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. Thank you for your help.” Nora replied sincerely. “Yesterday was a lot, huh?”

“Yeah. You scared me for a while there.”

“Oh come on. I bet you were thrilled you were almost rid of me!” Nora cracked. 

But it didn’t elicit a snarky comeback from MacCready like she expected. Not even a smirk.

“You ok?” She asked, eyeing him worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m just tired.” He stood up not meeting her eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. Let’s get out of here; pre-war places creep me out.” MacCready picked up both of their packs and held the bathroom door open for Nora, still not meeting her gaze.

Nora stood up slowly and walked towards him, reaching out to take her pack.

“Naw, I got it for now. You took a nasty hit.”

“Thanks.” She smiled at him and patted his arm affectionately. 

“Don’t worry about it.” 

“No, I mean it. Thank you for patching me up, for having my back. It means a lot.” She rested her hand on his arm and searched his face, trying to get him to look at her.

He finally met her eyes. “You’re welcome. Are you gonna be ok?”

“I think so.” Nora quickly scanned her pipboy; her condition was stable enough, nothing a good night’s sleep and a hearty meal wouldn’t fix. MacCready had done well. 

“Yeah, you did good.” She smiled at him and lightly punched him on the shoulder.

“Alright. Now let’s go loot that asshole’s corpse.”


	5. Boston After Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MacCready starts to come to terms with some new feelings.

Nora’s all-too close call after the showdown with Kellogg had given MacCready pause. Why had he been so pissy with her when she joked about dying? He knew he enjoyed traveling with her; she was the closest thing he had to a friend here. Plus, her son was out there somewhere and needed her. That. _ That _ had to be it, her son needed her. The thought of another child without his mother broke MacCready’s heart. But it didn’t explain the growing nightmares he’d been experiencing since Fort Hagen.

In the weeks leading up to their encounter with Kellogg, MacCready had found himself thinking about Nora. A lot. She was the last thing he thought about before drifting off to sleep at night, and the first thought upon waking, it confused and frustrated him. At first he thought they were just spending too much time together and that it just meant it was time to go their separate ways; he had to focus on figuring out how to cure Duncan, after all. But any time he thought about broaching the topic of leaving with her, he felt pangs of regret. Yes, he had promised to do whatever he could to help her find Shaun, but he was slowly realizing that it was going deeper than that. He might actually have feelings for this Nora woman. ‘_ Shit _.’ His first clue to the true nature of his feelings came to him one night in Goodneighbor. 

About a week after dealing with Kellogg, MacCready sat at the bar in The Third Rail nursing a beer. Nora was meeting with Valentine at The Memory Den to see whatever that weird chip in Kellogg’s brain could tell them. MacCready watched Magnolia singing from her usual spot in the corner. MacCready watched Magnolia sensually swaying in her low-cut red dress. Magnolia ran her fingers over the sequins of the dress hugging her voluptuous curves. MacCready's thoughts absently drifted back to Nora, he wondered if she ever wore dresses. Watching Magnolia sing and sway MacCready could feel himself growing hot under the collar. It had been several months since he’d known the touch of a woman in the biblical sense. 

After Lucy died, MacCready’s main focus had been Duncan, but after the better part of a year, if an opportunity for some companionship came up, he would take it, if only for physical release. Usually it was just a woman he met in a bar, or if he was feeling desperate, the occasional hooker. He never expected to find another “Lucy,” just a human touch for a couple of hours to keep the crippling depression at bay. After Duncan got sick, MacCready's focus once again turned to his child, travelling to the Commonwealth in search for a cure while he sent Duncan to stay in Little Lamplight. MacCready took up mercenary work again -something he wasn’t proud of- to send caps back home to pay for Duncan’s needs. Eventually he realized that running with the Gunners was likely to get him killed, especially if he kept shooting his mouth off like he did. And he was no good to his son dead. He never regretted leaving the Gunners, that is until Winlock and Barnes started harassing him every chance they got. But traveling with Nora had helped with that. It felt good having someone to watch his back, and he found he liked feeling needed. Plus, the Gunners quickly learned not to fuck with them anymore.

In the months since traveling with Nora, MacCready found it slightly more difficult to find opportunities to get off. Not that he cared if Nora knew he was out getting laid, he was pretty sure she knew when he would sneak off for the occasional cigarette, and she never said anything. So, she would probably be cool about it if he decided to get frisky with whatever random skirt would have him for the evening. Still he felt hesitant to flirt with women with Nora present. He flirted with Nora, or course, he flirted with most women. But with Nora it was different. Even when she would scoff or roll her eyes at him, she could hold her own in their banter and give back as good as she got. He respected that. But, watching Magnolia and feeling hot and bothered, with Nora otherwise occupied put MacCready more at ease. 

Magnolia finished her set to a smattering of applause. It was still early, and the bar had not yet filled with more than a handful of patrons. Magnolia took a seat at the end of the bar near the stage and ordered a whiskey from Whitechapel Charlie. MacCready stood up from his seat halfway down the bar and sauntered over to her.

“Enjoying the show, handsome?” Magnolia purred.

“Yeah. Can I buy you your next drink?” MacCready asked casually.

“Well, all _ my _ drinks are on the house, but you’re welcome to sit with me for a spell.”

“Alright, I just might.” MacCready sat on the stool next to her. He turned sideways so he could face her and the entrance. He didn’t like having his back to the exit. She eyed him sideways as she sipped her whiskey.

“What have you been up to, MacCready? Haven’t seen you in here for a while.” 

“Not much. Been traveling around the Commonwealth, killin’ things that need killin,’ Helping people that need helping.”

“Mmm, yes you always were the altruistic one.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

MacCready gave her a blank stare.

“It means showing unselfish concern for others.” 

“Yeah, I know what it means!” MacCready huffed. This elicited a breathy laugh from Magnolia.

“So where’s your girlfriend?” 

“My what?”

“Your girlfriend. The new dame you were running around with last time you were here. The pretty one.”

“What, Nora?! Oh no she is _ not _ my girlfriend!”

“Ok.”

“She’s not. It’s a working relationshi- partnership.” MacCready said hurriedly.

“Ok.”

“Yeah, me and Nora? No way.”

“I’m convinced. Are you?” Magnolia said coyly.

“Look, can we stop talking about her?” MacCready turned to sit right-ways on the stool, taking a long swig from his beer.

“Sure. What would you like to talk about?” Magnolia turned towards him and placed a hand on his bicep. MacCready looked at her hand and then slowly trailed his eyes up her torso to meet her eyes. He turned to face her again, leaning in closer this time.

“Well, I was hoping to ask you if you’re interested in spending some quality time with me tonight?” He asked, reaching over to gently rub her bare arm with the back of his index finger.

“I stopped turning tricks a while ago, MacCready.” She turned back to her whiskey.

“No, no. I know that, I wasn’t- _ propositioning _ you. I just- it’s nice to hear you sing again.” 

Magnolia shot him a side-eye but didn’t respond. With an exasperated sigh, MacCready turned back to his own drink and took another long pull from the bottle.

“So how long you in town for this time?” 

“Dunno. Probably just tonight. Depends what Nora decides.”

“I thought you didn't want to talk about her anymore.” She leaned in and whispered, her lips just brushing against his ear.

“I don’t.” MacCready sighed, turning his head to face her so that their noses were practically touching. “I’d rather talk about you.”

“Hm, one of my favorite subjects.” She cooed.

MacCready noticed movement at the entrance out of the corner of his eye. Nora and Valentine strolled through the lounge and took seats across the L-shaped bar from MacCready and Magnolia. MacCready watched them, not hearing whatever Magnolia was saying. Nora ordered a drink and quickly threw back whatever vile liquor Charlie had put in front of her. She gestured for him to pour her another and she quickly shot that back as well, making a face.

Nora felt MacCready watching her and shot him a curious look. She waggled her eyebrows at him and Magnolia suggestively. MacCready tried to scowl at her, but smiled in spite of himself. Magnolia, noticing his split attention, turned to investigate what had drawn his focus away.

“Well, say her name enough times and she appears.” Magnolia chuckled. 

“Yeah she seems to keep popping up.” MacCready said distractedly.

“Mmm, yes, smolder at her more, darling. That’ll show her.” Magnolia teased.

“I am not smoldering.” MacCready refocused on Magnolia.

“Oh yes, you are my dear.”

Before he could retort, Nora cleared her throat behind them. They both turned to look at Nora.

“Sorry to interrupt. MacCready, I’m going to grab us a couple of rooms for the night, you good to head out in the morning?”

“Yeah, sure thing, boss. Find out anything interesting?”

Nora was quiet for a moment. “Yes. But I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“You ok?” MacCready asked.

“Not really. I’m heading to the hotel. Have a nice night.” Nora walked back towards the entrance where Valentine was waiting for her. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and they ascended the stairs out of the Third Rail. MacCready watched them long after they were out of sight.

“Looks like she’s having a rough night.” Magnolia offered.

“Yeah.” MacCready replied absently, still watching the stairs.

“You wanna get out of here?” Magnolia asked.

MacCready snapped his attention back to Magnolia. “Yeah.” 

“Good. You should go after her, she looks like she needs a friend tonight.” And with that, Magnolia stood up, patted his cheek and sashayed back to the stage to start her next set. MacCready stared at her, dumbfounded.

***

MacCready paced in his hotel room furiously puffing on a cigarette. Once in the room, he had tried getting himself off a few times thinking about Magnolia, but images of Nora kept floating through his mind which didn’t make him feel nearly as awkward as he would have assumed pleasuring himself to the thought of her. But when her crestfallen face as she left the bar kept intruding, MacCready started to go limp in his own hands. This just added to his frustration that had been mounting over the past week. 

Finishing the cigarette, he tossed the butt into the growing pile in a rusty can on the bedside table. He fished the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and fitted the last one between his lips. He stared angrily at the empty pack, then balled it up in his fist and threw it violently against the nearest wall. He grabbed a sack of caps, shoved his hat on his head and wrenched the door to the room open to go buy another pack. He was stopped by the sight of a startled Nora turning to stare at him momentarily before going back to talking quietly to Nick Valentine in the hallway. 

MacCready quickly tore the unlit cigarette out of his mouth and shoved it into his pocket, hoping she hadn’t noticed. He busied himself with nonchalantly -he hoped- closing and locking his door while they spoke quietly.

“I really appreciate all of your help, Nick. Are you sure you feel...you know...normal?”

“Ha. As normal as I’ll ever be. Are you going to be ok?”

“Yeah. I have to be.”

“Take care of yourself, kid. And if you need me, you know where to find me.”

Nick pat Nora’s shoulder, shot MacCready a quick glance and walked down the hall towards the stairs, his mechanical servos whirring as he went. Nora stood hugging her arms to herself watching Nick leave until MacCready cleared his throat awkwardly and she turned to face him.

“Everything alright?” MacCready offered.

“Not really.” Nora’s voice wavered.

“Can I help?”

“I don’t know yet.” Nora turned towards her door. “Actually, can you...?”

“Yeah?” MacCready took a step towards her.

“Can I...have a hug?” Nora turned back to face him, tears running down her face.

MacCready chuckled gently, slightly taken aback. “Sure thing.” He closed the distance between them and put an arm around her in a sideways hug. But Nora wrapped her arms gently around his neck and held him close to her. She smelled earthy with a hint of whatever incense they burned at the Memory Den. It was intoxicating. His heart beat faster, he felt like he could stand there for hours just holding her and breathing her in. 

“Thank you.” Nora said softly, releasing his neck and letting her hand rest on his arm. She looked up at him.

“Anytime.” MacCready moved his arm to rest on her back. 

“I’m actually kind of surprised you’re out here right now. I thought for sure you’d still be at the bar or, you know, with Magnolia.” Nora gave him a knowing look.

“Yeah, uh, about that-” But MacCready stopped short as Magnolia ascended the stairs. Nora turned in the direction he was staring. They both watched as Magnolia sauntered towards her room across the hall from where they stood. She looked over at MacCready and winked at him before entering her room and closing the door.

Nora turned back towards MacCready, looking down at the floor. “Oh, right. I bet were on you way over there.” Nora let go of his arm and stepped backwards towards her room.

“Wha-? No, I-”

“No! No. It’s fine, it’s totally fine. Hah. Why _ wouldn’t _ it be fine? You’re a man, she’s a _ very _ attractive woman and you’ve been traveling with me for months and _ we _ certainly aren’t having sex. So, yeah. You. Go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Nora rambled as she scurried inside her room and slammed the door before MacCready could even process what had just happened. 

He stood in the hallway confused and even more frustrated for a couple minutes before Magnolia’s door gently opened and she emerged.

“Oh, hey there handsome.” She said, surprised to see him. “You’re looking lost. Lover’s quarrel?”

“Huh? No. Yes? I don’t know.” MacCready stared at her, she had changed into a freshly laundered pink dress. It wasn’t nearly as revealing or low-cut as her red one, but MacCready noticed how it hugged her curves nicely.

“You want to come in and talk about it?” 

“Not really.” MacCready said, searching for his cigarette in his pocket.

“You want to come in and _ not _ talk about it?” Magnolia asked stepping back into her room, holding the door open. MacCready took the hint and followed her into her room.

Once the door was securely shut, she grabbed him by his shirt collar and kissed him. He uttered a small moan of surprise and arousal. She pulled him by the shirt collar to prop her back against a small dresser next to her bed. MacCready noticed she smelled heavily of perfume that barely hid the smells of the bar. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it didn’t smell like Nora. He didn’t know why _ she _ popped into his mind while Magnolia snaked her hands down his chest to rub the outside of his pants, coaxing his erection. He responded by grabbing her ass and grinding his pelvis desperately against her.

“Mmm, someone’s eager. Been a long time?” Magnolia purred in his ear.

“God, Nora, you have no idea.”

“Ah ha there it is!” Magnolia firmly shoved him away, a triumphant knowing smile on her face.

MacCready stepped back but he stared at her, puzzled. “What is?”

“_ You _ said Nora.” The taunting grin still wide on her face.

“What?! No I didn’t!” MacCready protested. “Shit. _ Did _ I?”

“You, sir, have got it bad for her.”

“No, I...don’t.” Even MacCready didn’t believe his own answer.

“Oh, honey, I’ve seen some love-sick puppies in my day, but you take the cake.” She eyed him sympathetically. “Do yourself a favor: tell her.”

“Tell her what exactly?”

“How you feel about her.”

“How I feel about her?”

“Yes.” Magnolia pressed.

MacCready fidgeted uncomfortably, trying to absorb her words. “I don’t know how I feel about her...she’s...easy on the eyes.”

“Not the best start, but go on.” Magnolia crossed her arms and leaned against her dresser studying his face as it contorted in confusion as he worked it all out.

“I like being around her.”

“Better.” Magnolia encouraged.

“Yeah, there I said it, I like being around her. She makes me laugh.” 

“And?”

“She’s smart. She helps people. She’s a badass and I trust her to always have my back and when she almost died last week I felt like I could have died too.” He breathed heavily, the words echoing in his ears.

“Oh, darlin’ you know why that is right?” Magnolia asked comfortingly.

“I didn’t know if I could go on without her if she didn’t wake up.” MacCready's voice broke, tears suddenly threatened to spill over down his face. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes quickly.

Magnolia stood and put a hand on his shoulder. “And maybe I’m not the one you should be telling all this to.”

“Yeah. Maybe. I should go, huh?”

“Do you want to go?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you should go.” Magnolia moved to open her door.

“Sorry about this.” MacCready said awkwardly.

“Oh, no hard feelings here, sweetie. I’ve seen and done a lot, but seeing someone look at someone the way you look at her? That’s special. Now go get her, lover boy.” With that, she shoved him into the hallway. “Good luck, kiddo.”

The door slammed shut behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Magnolia is sort of the "hooker with the heart of gold" trope, but I don't care I love her.


	6. You, Me, and the Whiskey Makes Three

Nora leaned her entire body against the hotel room door feeling flustered and confused, hurt and broken. Slowly, she sat down, her back pressed to the door, the sobs escaped her throat before she hit the floor. Kellogg’s chip had only left her with more questions than answers. She knew where Shaun was, but he seemed unreachable. Plus he was no longer the infant that was taken from her mere months ago. He was now a ten year old boy. ‘_ How?! How is that possible!? _ ’ Had she really gone back into cryosleep for another decade? To add insult to injury, how embarrassed she felt hugging MacCready on his way to get laid. _ ‘Ew _.’ She had just wanted the comfort of human touch, so much so that, for the briefest of moments when he hugged her, she imagined it going further. 

Nora sat crumpled and crying on the floor of her room in Hotel Rexford. She lost all track of time as she cried what felt like endless tears. The sound of a slamming door startled her out of her sorrow. Wiping her face, she slowly stood up and curiously peeked through the dusty peephole. She saw MacCready standing in the hallway in front of Magnolia’s door. ‘_ Well, that didn’t take long _.’ She thought with a mixture of annoyance and mild disappointment.

MacCready turned to face Nora’s door and she ducked -embarrassed- but then silently laughed at herself for being ridiculous; he couldn’t see her. She watched as he slowly approached her door. ‘_ What the hell is he doing _?’ He stood in front of her door, his brow knit in confusion. His face was slightly flushed and he was whispering something to himself, but Nora couldn’t tell what exactly. He lifted his cap to run his fingers through his hair aggressively before replacing the hat. He stood fidgeting in front of her door for another moment before he huffed in frustration and then turned sharply to walk away. She heard him unlock his door, open it, then firmly shut it. 

Nora stood at the door for another moment before walking over to the bed and sitting. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and sniffled. She sat there thinking about MacCready’s arm around her as they had stood in the hallway, and wished it was around her now. But she wasn’t about to go next door and ask for another hug, especially since he had clearly just had a quickie with Magnolia. ‘_ Double ew _.’ The tears stung her eyes again. “No. Stop crying dammit.” She hissed at herself. She stood up and paced around the small room. The silence started to overwhelmed her, and the room felt suffocating. She opened her door and headed to the bar on the first floor.

***

Nora was nearly at the end of her second glass of bourbon at the tiny bar in the lobby of Hotel Rexford when MacCready surprised her by sitting next to her.

“There you are. You ok?” He asked gently.

“Howdy stranger. Come here often?” She snarked drunkenly.

“Wow. How many have you had?”

“Not enough.” She reached for the bottle of bourbon the bartender had left on the bar for her after she paid him a pile of caps.

“Actually, maybe you have.” MacCready said pulling the bottle out of her reach.

“Hey. Give it.” She whined.

“No.” MacCready smiled mischievously at her, taking a nip.

“Hmm, what if I just take it from you.” Nora growled suggestively, leaning into him and putting her hand firmly on his thigh. 

A bolt of electric energy shot through MacCready's body. Her touch felt amazing on his leg but she wasn’t in her right mind. He didn’t want it like this.

“Stop it, Nora. You’re drunk.” As much as it pained him, he pushed her hand away.

“Listen asshole. I just found out that killing that monster was practically useless because Shaun’s under lock and key fuck knows where, and guess what?! He’s not a baby anymore! He’s ten fucking years old!”

“What?!”

“That’s right! I was asleep for ten fucking years since he was taken from me. I bet he has no memory of me! So even if I could break into The Institute and steal him back, why the fuck would he want to go anywhere with me?! Everyone I love is either dead or impossibly out of reach, so, you know what, if I want to drink myself to death tonight, you better think long and hard about whether or not you really want to stop me.” Nora lurched at MacCready and snatched the bottle of bourbon from him, refilling her glass and slamming the bottle on the wooden bar before taking a long swig.

“Jesus.” MacCready breathed after a moment of dumbstruck silence.

“Yeah, pretty sure _ he’s _ dead too.”

MacCready reached out and gently put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m really sorry.”

She sat staring straight ahead clutching her glass of bourbon.“Thanks.” She gruffed quietly before swigging the rest of the glass and reaching for the bottle again.

“Ok. I really think you’ve had enough now.” He said gently, pulling the bottle away from her. She pawed at him drunkenly, but she wasn’t quick enough. “Come on, let’s get you to your room.” MacCready stood and started to lift her under her arms.

“I’m not a child, MacCready. I can walk.” She spat as she stood up shakily. She took a few uneven steps before swaying dangerously to the side. MacCready quickly lunged to catch and stabilize her. Upon catching her, the front of his face caressed the side of hers and the electric energy shot through his body again at being so close to her. She leaned into him as he helped her stumble upstairs to her room. Once at her door, she fumbled with the keys to her room, cursing loudly when she couldn’t get them to fit in the keyhole.

“Here, let me.” MacCready said mildly, taking them from her and unlocking the door. He helped her into the room, the low light from a lantern flickered warmly on the bedside table. “Ok, here we go, drunky.” He gently sat her down onto the bed. She swayed a little, trying to focus on his face before flopping over sideways onto the bed giggling stupidly.

“Alright, let's get you ready for sleep.” MacCready bent down and untied Nora’s boots, pulling them off her feet and setting them aside. He lifted her legs to place them gently on the bed. He went into the bathroom and found an empty bucket, he brought it out and set it down next to the bed before sitting next to her.

“There’s a bucket here in case you’re gonna puke.”

“Excuse me, sir, are you saying I can’t hold my liquor?” Nora slurred accusedly.

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“Goddamn right.” Nora yawned. 

MacCready stood up to leave but Nora reached for him. “Please don’t leave yet.” MacCready's heart fluttered as her hand lightly glanced across his. “Please. I really don’t want to be alone.”

“Sure thing.” He lowered himself to sit next to her on the bed again. 

“Thank you.” She whimpered.

“Anytime.”

He sat watching her in the lantern light, her eyes closed as she breathed deeply. He carefully rubbed her back. She moaned softly. He wanted to tell her everything would be alright, he wanted to hold her and tell her how she made him feel better than he had in years. But, he couldn’t find the words. Nothing sounded good enough. After wrestling with his thoughts for several minutes, he assumed she was asleep and was starting to consider whether or not he should leave when she spoke. 

“MacCready?”

“Yeah?”

“Stay here tonight?”

His breath caught in his throat for a moment. “Are...are you sure?” Over the past couple of hours, he had been considering Magnolia’s words and the confession she’d wheedled out of him. He had started to imagine telling Nora he cared about her and the more he thought about it the more he felt certain of his feelings. But he certainly didn’t want to take advantage of her in her intoxicated and vulnerable state.

“Not like sex stay here.” She mumbled somewhat coherently. “But, you ever been so lonely for a person that you wanted to scream?”

“Yes.” He whispered.

“So, will you just sleep here next to me tonight? I might scream if I’m alone anymore.”

“You’re not alone.” MacCready untied his boots and kicked them off. He carefully laid down on his side on the bed next to her.

“Thanks. You’re a good guy.” She whispered, reaching over to pull his arm around her and snuggling into him.

“You’re welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've all been drunk Nora, am I right?


	7. Troubled Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after is always a little uncomfortable, MacCready and Nora experience some growing pains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets slightly NSFW

MacCready awoke from the best sleep he’d had in years. Even though Nora disturbed him once during the night with panicked incoherent babbling in her sleep, he simply held her and whispered in her ear. “Everything’s alright. It’s just a dream.” After a few moments, she calmed and fell back into a quiet sleep, her body radiating heat as she sweated out the bourbon. He didn’t care, holding her filled him with a sense of calm and he drifted into a deep comfortable sleep. 

The sunrise crept through the threadbare curtains and MacCready opened his eyes. Nora still held his arm around her even as she twitched slightly in her sleep. He carefully pulled his arm free from her grasp so he could roll onto his back and stretch. He felt a little achy from spooning Nora all night, but the same small sense of peace washed over him as he lay next to her and he quickly forgot the stiffness in his back. He watched her sleep for several minutes before she started to stir. She groaned painfully and rolled onto her back, draping her arm over her eyes to block out the early light.

“Morning sunshine,” MacCready quipped.

“Ugh, where are we?” Nora groaned groggily. 

“Hotel Rexford.”

“Oh, right. Fuck. Why did I drink so much?”

“Aren’t you glad I stopped you when I did?”

“Yeah, thanks for that.” Nora reached over and patted him clumsily. “Are we in my room or yours?” She turned to look at him, squinting against the light.

“It’s your room.”

“Wait, we didn’t…?” 

“Heh. No. I promise you I was a complete gentleman.” MacCready assured her.

“Oh, thank God.” Nora said more harshly than she meant to.

“Ouch.” MacCready's voice dripped with playful sarcasm, he hoped it hid the pang of genuine hurt he felt.

“Oh stop. I just meant it’s good to know you’re not a  _ complete _ asshole.”

“Oh boy, keep those compliments coming.” MacCready's sarcasm had an edge to it now.

“Why are  _ you _ crabby. I’m the one with the hangover.” Nora grumbled draping her arm over her eyes again.

“Well, you were a lot nicer last night.” MacCready said under his breath, sitting up.

“Oh, you like it when I’m drunk and needy do you? I’ll be sure to file that away for later.” Nora spat back.

“No! Well, yes but I-”

“I’m not some helpless little woman. I don’t need you to take care of me, you know!” Nora growled as she sat up.

“I...Know…”

“Do you?!”

“Yes!” MacCready stared at her exasperated. “What are we arguing about?!”

Nora sighed aggressively, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know.” 

He stood up and walked over to grab his boots. “I’m going to change, come find me if you need me. Or don’t.” 

He exited before Nora could say anything and shut the door forcefully. He stood in the hall holding the handle for a moment. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the door frame in frustration.

“You know, usually when you tell a woman you care about her, sneaking out of her room in the morning isn’t part of the deal.” Magnolia’s voice startled him. He turned to look. She strolled down the hall towards him clad in her bathrobe, a breakfast tray in her hands.

“Yeah...this...isn’t what it looks like.” MacCready stammered glumly.

“Oh. Trouble in paradise?”

“Isn’t there always?”

Magnolia chuckled gently. “You alright?”

“Sure. I’ll see you around, Mags.” MacCready walked to his door and unlocked it.

“Chin up, darlin. It’ll all work out.”

“Maybe,” he grunted. He opened his door and went inside.

***

Nora’s head throbbed like it was slowly and painfully being cranked in a vice. She felt like a dried up husk of herself. Between crying and the copious amounts of alcohol she drank the night before, she knew she was severely dehydrated. She felt surprisingly rested all things considered. She didn’t quite remember why MacCready had slept in her room, but she believed him when he said that nothing had happened between them. She also had to admit that she didn’t hate the idea of waking up next to him. In fact, it was comforting to wake up next to someone again. And she was glad that someone had been MacCready. But that’s when she felt a stab of guilt in her gut and anxiety rising in her chest. She tried to breathe through it. “Nate’s gone, Nora. You’re not unfaithful. Besides, nothing happened,” she chided herself. “I almost wish something  _ had _ happened. Then I would’ve at least gotten laid. Maybe I could calm the fuck down, then.” 

She slowly stood up, holding her aching head and reaching for a bottle of water. She heard muffled voices in the hallway and walked over to glance out the peephole. She saw MacCready standing in front of her door talking to Magnolia, and Nora felt a twinge of jealousy. ‘ _ I wonder if this is awkward for him _ ?’ She knew what it looked like, him leaving her room early in the morning, even if they hadn’t actually had sex. She couldn’t quite make out what was being said in the hall, but when MacCready turned to walk to his room she saw the dejected look on his face. She felt bad for snapping at him when he had taken care of her the night before.

“Nora, you’re an asshole.” She whispered to herself, turning away from the door and striding into the bathroom to wash the smell of booze off of her body.

***

Nora knocked on MacCready's door some time later after she had freshened up and changed. After a moment, he answered.

“Hi.” She offered sheepishly, hands behind her back.

“What’s up, boss?” he asked flatly.

“Can I buy you breakfast?”

“Alright.” He eyed her suspiciously.

“I know I was an asshole this morning, I’m sorry. Will this help make up for it?” Nora extended her hands, she held two bowls of mac ‘n cheese. “It’s the best they had.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” MacCready chuckled. “You want to come in and eat?”

Nora nodded and scooted past him into the small room, setting his bowl on the bedside table. She glanced around and found a single chair, she pulled it closer to the bed and sat down to eat. MacCready closed the door and crossed over to sit on the bed. He picked up the bowl and quietly picked at it. They ate in silence for several minutes before Nora decided to speak.

“I wasn’t nice earlier,” she said apologetically.

“No, you weren’t. But I understand; you’re dealing with some crazy shit right now. Honestly, if it were me, I’d still be in that bottle propping up the bar downstairs.”

“Also, thank you. For putting me to bed, I mean. And for not...you know...taking advantage of...the situation.”

“I’d have to be a real piece of shit to try and sleep with you when you were in that state.” MacCready still looked down at his half-eaten bowl of food.

“Yeah, you would. But I know that you’re not... That you wouldn’t do that.” Nora stammered. “I just wanted you to know that I know that.” 

“Good. ‘Cause I’ve always got your back.” 

“I know, thank you.” 

“No problem.”

“So you don’t hate me?” Nora asked after a moment of silence.

“You’d have to do an awful lot to make me hate you.” MacCready said genuinely, finally making eye contact with her.

“You still want to head out with me today?” 

“Where to?”

“The Airport. I might know some people who can help me locate Shaun.”

***

“Why would you give the Brotherhood  _ anything _ ?! You can’t trust them!” 

Macready marched after Nora as they exited the Boston Airport ruins in the late afternoon shadow of The Prydwen. Nora had spent several hours meeting with the Brotherhood of Steel regarding the information she gained from Kellogg. They had promised her to look into his connections with the Institute but that their cooperation would come at a cost. They told her they would contact her soon. Whatever  _ soon _ meant. 

“What is your problem? It’s  _ my _ information to give.”

“But they’re shady as shit! And what’s to stop them from conscripting you?!”

“So what? If they do, it’ll be kind of like being in the army again. It’s not like I have anyone around to miss me anyway. Why do  _ you _ even care?!” Nora truly could not understand how this argument had gotten so heated so quickly. 

“I care because I- Because I do!” He said, flustered. He still hadn’t found the words or the right time to tell Nora about his feelings for her. It seemed like the more he thought about it, the more intense the feelings got. The more intense his feelings got, the dumber everything he thought about saying to her sounded in his head.

“Oh,  _ very _ compelling argument.” Nora snapped. 

“There just has to be another way.”

Nora stopped and turned to face him. “Don’t you think I’ve exhausted all of my options at this point?! The Minutemen don’t have access to the same technology the Brotherhood does.” When MacCready made a face at the mention of the Minutemen, Nora lost her temper. “Oh but you don’t like  _ them _ either, do you?! Look, just because you’re an arrogant prick who has a giant chip on his shoulder about everything, it doesn’t mean that you get to decide my life for me! You couldn’t possibly understand that I would do anything for my child! You’re not a parent and if you were, I’d feel sorry for your kid!” She spun on her heel and continued marching out of the ruins.

But the words hung in the air like a cloud. Nora noticed after a moment that MacCready was no longer trudging behind her. She turned to look at him. MacCready stood unmoving, his expression dark. Nora slowly started to realize she may have crossed a line.

MacCready felt like he’d been punched in the chest, he couldn’t breathe. The sting of her words was so intense he half expected to find physical wounds from them later. He tried to take a breath but it caught in his chest. He ground his teeth, tensing his jaw so hard he thought he might chip a tooth. When his breath finally returned to him, he sighed angrily and scowled at Nora.

“What is it?” She asked. But, he just stomped past her.

It was a long and uncomfortably wordless hike back to Goodneighbor. When they arrived just as the the last hints of sunlight were leaving the sky, Nora’s earlier frustration with MacCready had faded.

“So, look about earlier-” She started, but MacCready just walked away from her, heading towards The Third Rail. 

“Ok…I probably deserve that.” Nora said quietly to herself. She watched him for a moment before heading back to Hotel Rexford.

***

MacCready hunched over his beer at the bar in The Third Rail. ‘ _ She doesn’t know. She doesn’t know because you’ve never told her, you can’t be mad at her for not knowing _ ,’ he told himself. He thought about Lucy -about Duncan- and tears formed in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away. He had been considering asking Nora to help him locate the cure to Duncan’s mysterious illness; she was a medic, after all. But in light of everything Nora was dealing with, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to ask. ‘ _ Maybe I am a shitty parent _ .’ A soft hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts, he turned to find Magnolia looking at him thoughtfully.

“This seat taken?”

“It is now,” he tried to say lightheartedly, but his grief betrayed him.

“Oh, darlin. That bad?” Magnolia sat next to him and patted his arm with her hand. She sat listening while MacCready recounted everything that happened between him and Nora.

“I’ve never known someone who drove me this insane before! What she said hurt, but I understand how desperate she feels right now. It’s like we’re two sides of the same coin. And when I think about her holding onto me last night it’s like it makes everything hurt a little less.” MacCready took a long pull from his beer. “Shit. I think I’m in love with her, Mags.”

Magnolia smiled at him, “Of course you are.”

He stared at her incredulously. “What am I supposed to do?”

“What do you want?”

“Huh?”

“What do you want? Forget about everything right now, pretend nothing is impossible. What is it that you want?”

“I gotta find that cure for Duncan.”

“And do you think Nora will help you do that?”

MacCready sat staring at his beer bottle for several minutes before he answered. “She has a good heart. I know she’d do anything she could to help.”

“Good. That’s settled then. Is that  _ everything _ you want?” Magnolia pressed.

“No. I want to tell her I love her and then I want to hold her and never let go.” 

Magnolia squeezed his arm encouragingly and looked him dead in the eye. “Then go fucking do it, MacCready.”

***

He held her close, their naked bodies pressed together in tangled passion. She felt him penetrate her and she moaned with pleasure. She could feel the cool metal of the floor beneath them juxtaposed to the heat from their bodies. It was smooth and slightly uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. The rest of the world fell away, it was only them. She clawed at his back as he moved in her.

“Yes. Yes,” she called out breathlessly. 

He fucked her harder and faster. She was so close. 

“Oh, god, MacCready! Please don’t stop.” 

He looked deep into her eyes and whispered, “What if I do?”

“What?”

“Maybe I will because I’m an arrogant prick.” He sat up and kicked her away and she felt herself starting to fall.

“MacCready, help!” 

“Go cry to the Brotherhood about it.” 

He pushed a button and the vault door slammed shut above her as she fell to the dingy Vault 111 ruins below.

Nora gasped and sat up in bed in her darkened hotel room. She was shaking and drenched with sweat. This marked the third night in a row that her sleep was interrupted by intense dreams. It was also the third night since she and MacCready had argued beneath the Prydwen. He still wasn’t speaking to her; in fact, she had barely seen him since they had returned to Goodneighbor. The first night, his hurt look and glare haunted her and she barely slept. The second night, she actually had a flashback to their first meeting here in Goodneighbor. She remembered the feeling of having his arms around her and of their kiss on the bench outside The Third Rail. She woke up feeling lighter but not at all well-rested, and upon remembering that he wasn’t speaking to her, her heart felt broken. But tonight was like a horrible spawn of the previous two nights. She hugged her knees to her chest. She realized she missed MacCready. Finally, she had to admit to herself that had feelings for him, that she’d  _ been _ having feelings for him. She had been trying to bury those feelings for -she didn’t know how many- weeks now.

“Goddammit I’ve been such an asshole! Nate, honey, how did you ever put up with me?” She said to herself sadly. 

But as much as she missed her husband, she was starting to realize MacCready had helped her feel hopeful and that being angry with him was just her misplaced guilt about having feelings for him. The guilt was almost overwhelming even though she knew Nate was gone and was the type of person who would have given anything for her happiness. 

“I miss you so much, my love. But I know you would want me to find some peace in this hellscape; I know you would want me to be happy. If it were you here instead of me, I’d want the same for you.” 

She cried quietly for a long time. When she exhausted herself, she lay down again, determined to make things right with MacCready in the morning. That is, if he would talk to her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nora was a real asshole in this chapter, but she's sorry and she promises to never do it again.


	8. The Long Road Behind or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Brahmin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MacCready and Nora have made up after their big argument and successfully found Duncan's cure. Now they just need to have a heart-to-heart about how they feel about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be the dumbest thing I've ever written. Alcohol may or may not have been involved.
> 
> (CW: More blood and needles.)

Ironically, Nora and MacCready survived trekking across the Commonwealth for months together, survived their shootout with Conrad Kellogg, and survived their quest for Duncan’s cure in the Med-Tek facility overrun with ghouls, only for MacCready to be nearly felled by a brahmin, of all things. 

The awkwardness that had existed between them since their argument had dulled. Nora had made good on her promise to herself and apologized to MacCready. It was uncomfortable, as expected, but they finally cleared the air. She had been carefully forming the words to tell MacCready that her feelings for him were at the root of her negative attitude when he dropped the Lucy and Duncan bombshell. She was shocked, and even more angry at herself for being so unkind. His revelation had only opened her heart to him even more, but she knew that that wasn’t the right moment to say so. When he had asked her to help him scour the Med-Tek facility for the cure with him, she didn’t hesitate. He had done so much for her, she not only felt like she was returning his kindness, but she knew cared about him and she wanted to do anything to help him.

On the day of the brahmin incident they left Goodneighbor heading for Sanctuary Hills after entrusting Duncan’s cure to Daisy to ship off to the Capital Wasteland. Nora noticed MacCready was unusually quiet. He was pensive, but she would occasionally hear him humming under his breath or whistling quietly to himself. He held his shoulders back, stood straighter, and walked taller. It was almost as if a literal weight had been lifted from him. When they rested in the afternoon to eat lunch under a crumbling overpass, he caught her staring at him.

“What,” he asked around a mouthful of iguana on a stick.

Nora just laughed at him.

“No, really, what?” He swallowed.

“It’s nothing. You just...you’re very cheery this afternoon. It’s nice.”

He considered her words for a moment. “Well...I guess I feel...I dunno...lighter.”

“That’s good.” She smiled at him.

“And I have you to thank for that.” He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Nora’s heart skipped in her chest at his touch. 

“You’re welcome.” Nora patted his hand kindly.

MacCready held her shoulder long enough that it started to get slightly awkward. _ ‘Tell her, idiot.’ _He opened his mouth to speak, but pulled his arm away and shoved the rest of his food in his mouth.

As they continued their trek in the late afternoon, Nora noticed MacCready’s steps almost had a bounce in them. She snickered quietly to herself and fell back slightly to watch him.

“Enjoying the view back there, Dr. Giggles?” He called to her over his shoulder. 

“No. I mean, yes -no, you’re...its...it’s like you’re skipping. It’s kind of adorable.” Nora stammered, bursting into a fit of giggles.

“I am _ not _ skipping!” MacCready turned to face her, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Nora said, gasping for breath between cackles. “You’re right. You are far too tough to _ ever _ be caught skipping.” Nora tried to keep a straight face but collapsed into a fit of laughter once again, reaching forward to steady herself on his arm.

He stood sternly eyeing her, but he couldn’t hide the tiny creep of a smile that tweaked the corners of his mouth. He surprised her by placing his hands gently on her shoulders. Her laughter died as he gazed into her eyes.

“Maybe I am...uh...sort of...skipping, that is. But it’s because I feel good. Like we could take on the whole world together. I never felt like that before. It’s weird. Good weird. But it’s because of you. I’m happy to be here. With you.” 

Nora’s breath almost caught in her chest. He stood so close to her, she started to reach up to put her hands on his arms, but she hesitated. She’d only seen glimpses of this kind of tenderness from him. She liked it, but did he share her feelings or was he just expressing his gratitude.

MacCready absentmindedly caressed her shoulders with his thumbs. He glanced down at her lips. He really wanted to kiss her. ‘_ Am I crazy to kiss her right now _ ?’ If she pushed him away, it would make for a very awkward walk for the next few days. Should he risk it? He tested the waters by inching his face closer to her. Slowly. Painfully slowly. “I...um…” The words caught in his throat. ‘S _ ay something, dummy! _’ But, what could he say that didn’t sound completely stupid? 

Nora held her breath. ‘_ He’s so close I could just kiss him. Should I kiss him? Does he want me to kiss him? Or does he want to kiss me? _’ Her mind raced, but she knew him kissing her was all she wanted in that moment. She tilted her face up, closer to his. She could smell the sweetness of the hubflower root that he had taken to chewing on recently. She suddenly realized she hadn’t seen him with a cigarette in weeks. 

“I’m glad you’re here with me too,” she said softly. 

“You are?”

“Yes.”

The long bellows of several brahmin startled them both out of the moment. MacCready turned to face the noise, instinctually palming his sidearm and reaching behind him to shield Nora. A small herd wandered across the road nearby, braying loudly; a settler followed behind them, herding them along. He waved, acknowledging MacCready and Nora. MacCready relaxed his stance and nodded his head in reply. 

“Well...uh...we should keep going if we’re going to find somewhere to sleep before the sun gets too low.” MacCready stated glumly. He tramped ahead along the road. 

“Ok, skippy,” Nora quipped.

MacCready paused a few feet from the brahmin herd. He glanced over his shoulder at her and grinned. “I’m adorable, huh?”

“Don’t let it go to your head, I said _ kind of _ adorable.”

He took a step and kicked his heels up into a mid-air heel click and turned to wink at Nora, who doubled over laughing once again. He walked backwards a few paces reveling in her laughter; it was nice to see her in good spirits. He turned around again just in time for a stray brahmin to spook and gore him in the side. 

***

“Muvver fukger!” MacCready screamed around the wooden spoon wedged between his teeth. Nora had acted quickly to stanch the bleeding and shove the spoon in his mouth since his yelling was unnerving the brahmin. A stampede would make their current situation much much worse.

“I’m real sorry. Joey’s a little ornery but she’s never gored no one before.” The shaken settler gawkily hovered over a fallen MacCready while Nora put pressure on his bleeding side with one hand, fishing her medkit out of her bag with the other. “Can I do something?”

“Oo ca fug ohf!”

“No, thank you, I think I can handle this,” Nora said kindly, shooting MacCready a warning glare. 

“Oh, right then. Sun’s gettin’ low, Graygarden isn’t far from here, we’d be happy to put you up for the night.” 

“That would be great, actually, thank you. But, I need to stabilize him first, before we go anywhere.”

“I’ll head that way to let them know. Just follow those train tracks south for a bit and you’ll find us.” The settler clicked his tongue at the grazing brahmin and waved a switch at them, and the herd ambled on their way.

Nora waved her thanks to the settler and turned her attention back to MacCready. “This wound is pretty deep, but it looks like the horn missed your kidneys, so that’s good news.” 

“Oh, yea. Beft noov eva,” he snarked.

“Once I can get the bleeding to stop, you’ll need stitches, but I don’t have a lot of vodka left to sterilize everything with, so I can’t give you any to drink. This is going to hurt a lot. The skin on your side is more sensitive than on your bicep like the last time I stitched you up. I’m sorry.”

MacCready looked at her and nodded stoically, gritting his teeth around the spoon.

“Ok, hold this here.” She held his hand against the bloody rag at his side while she fished the supplies out of her kit and sterilized everything with the last of her vodka. 

“Alright, he we go. Hold still as best you can or it will hurt so much worse.” She warned as she moved the rag aside to make her first insertion of the needle.

MacCready lamented loudly through the procedure but held as still as he could while Nora worked to skillfully sew his laceration shut before the sun set too low in the sky and she lost her light. When she had finished, she gently wrapped his lower torso in bandages she had looted from the Med-tek facility. Lastly, she fished a stimpak out of her bag and injected his torso.

“Hmm, maybe we should have looted that hospital too,” she said lightly as she secured the bandages. MacCready grunted in reply as he rested his sweat-soaked head in the dirt. He was breathing heavily through the pain.

“Doin’ alright there, cowboy?” She asked playfully.

MacCready let out a weak yip of laughter before pulling the spoon out of his mouth to respond. “Ya know, that might have been the single stupidest thing that's ever happened to me. And that’s saying something.”

Nora laughed, “I was about to say, that bar’s set pretty low.”

“Yeah. Well, we can’t all be super hero doctors.” He turned to look at her affectionately. Nora felt her heart flutter as he gazed at her. 

“I’m not a hero, I’m just doing my best.”

“Well, you’ve saved my bacon more than once now, so thanks.”

“Of course.” 

“Let’s never speak of this again.”

“Ok.” Nora laughed. She could have sat there all night having him look up at her, but as the sun dipped below the horizon, she knew they needed to get moving. “Can you sit up?” She crouched near his shoulders to help him slowly sit up. MacCready grimaced and groaned in pain, but was able to carefully get to his feet.

“Let’s get to this Graygarden place so you can rest.”

Later, as they sat in front of a campfire outside of the greenhouse at Graygarden, MacCready caught her staring at him.

“What’s up?”

“Huh? What?” Nora shook her head.

“You were staring.”

“Was I? Sorry, I’m...um...really tired and I just...um.. was worried about you.” Nora hoped the orange flicker of the fire light hid her embarrassed flush.

MacCready smiled at her. “Thanks. I’m fine.”

“You want me to see if I can find you another shot of whiskey around here for the pain?

“Nah, It’s not that bad.”

“Ok. I’m going to turn in, then.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

She helped him to his feet. “You know, since this place is overrun with Mister Handys I don’t think either of us need to keep watch. You should sleep with me -er- _ next _ to me tonight. So I can keep an eye on you...your injury.” Nora fumbled. ‘ _ Smooth, Nora _.’

MacCready chuckled, “Alright.”

They stood looking at each other awkwardly for a moment before Nora headed towards the greenhouse. She found an empty corner and set out their bedrolls where they could settle in for the night. MacCready joined her and watched as she fussed over the placement of the bedrolls. He smiled watching her. 

“Are you going to be comfortable enough, should I find something to cushion you more?” Nora sat fluffing MacCready’s bedroll.

“It’s fine, thank you. You don’t have to worry so much.” He sat on the bedroll carefully and lay down on his uninjured side facing her. Nora studied him for a moment but lay down on her bedroll as well. As they lay facing each other, she reached out to feel his forehead.

“I don’t think you have a fever, that’s good. How’s the pain?”

“I’ll live.” MacCready chuckled.

“No, really, can I do anything for you?” She pulled her hand away, but let it rest halfway between them.

MacCready smiled at her in the dim light of the greenhouse. “No, you’ve done more than enough.” His heart beat in his ears, she looked so beautiful laying there. ‘_ Tell her, moron. _’ He took a deep breath to steel his nerves to say something when she spoke.

“Can I ask you something?” 

He exhaled gently, “Shoot.”

“What’s your last name?”

He let out a surprised bark of laughter. “MacCready.”

“Your name is MacCready MacCready?” She quipped.

He laughed out loud which just made her giggle. “No. MacCready is my last name. My first name is Robert.”

“Really?”

“Really. But no one ever called me that except for Lucy,” he said quietly.

“Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up anything painful.”

“No. It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt to talk about her, not as much as it used to anyway. I think I might actually have you to thank for that.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I’ve watched you struggle with a crazy amount of shit and you’re not broken. If anything, it all seems to make you fight harder. You make me want to keep fighting.” Nora quietly looked at him for a few moments, her eyes welled up with tears.

“Thank you. That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

“Shit, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” MacCready reached his hand out to touch hers. _ ‘Dammit, way to go dumbass.’ _

“It’s ok. That was really sweet. Thank you.” She sniffed and gently clasped his hand, her heart skipping wildly. 

“Ok, your turn.” 

Nora looked at him, puzzled.

“I assume your name isn’t Nora Nora. What’s _ your _ last name?” MacCready asked trying to distract her from her tears.

“Ha, right. It’s Taylor.”

“Well, Nora Taylor, I think you’re a badass. Thank you for having my back.” 

“You’re welcome, MacCready MacCready. Thank you for having my back, too.” She squeezed his hand.

He chuckled at her, stifling a yawn.

“You should get some sleep, your body needs rest to heal.” Nora gave his hand another squeeze before releasing it and rolling onto her back. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do,” he whispered, closing his fist trying to retain the warmth where her hand had held his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah! They were so close!
> 
> Brahmin: cock-blockers of the wasteland.
> 
> Also, I know in the game the Sole Survivor/their spouse are not given a last name, so I chose "Taylor" in honor of Courtenay Taylor, the actress who voices the female Sole Survivor.


	9. The Last Drive-In

The next morning, MacCready and Nora headed north from Graygarden on their way to Sanctuary Hills. MacCready was moving slightly slower than normal due to his injury. He was badly bruised and sore. After walking for an hour, he felt his body loosen up, but he was still in a lot of pain. Nora offered him some Med-X from their dwindling supply, but he turned it down. Better to save it for an emergency.

“I’m tempted to scope out Super Duper Mart for some supplies to take back to Sanctuary. Are you up for that?” Nora asked him.

“I’m game if you are.”

Nora studied him for a moment before responding. “Ok. But we’re just going to check it out. If it looks too dicey, we leave and come back another time.”

“You’re the boss.” He gave her a lazy salute and a crooked smile. Nora felt her heart flutter. ‘ _ Stop it. Focus, Nora. _ ’

They continued their trek northeast towards Super Duper Mart. Every now and then MacCready would grunt in pain and Nora would shoot him a concerned look. He would wave her concern away with his hand and insist he was fine. As they neared the ruined grocery store, Nora crouched behind a nearby demolished car. MacCready followed suit, grimacing in pain.

“Last time I was here, I cleared out a bunch of ferals for Paladin Rys, so hopefully it’s still clear.” Nora saw MacCready’s sour expression at the mention of ghouls, or the Brotherhood, maybe both. She couldn’t tell. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”

“I’m fine.”

Nora opened her mouth to argue but she was silenced by a thunderous roar. She peered over the hood of the car and could see a giant Behemoth sprinting from behind Super Duper Mart, swinging a club at a feral ghoul, crushing it in one fell swoop.

“Oh fuck me,” she whispered.

“Now might not be the best time for that,” MacCready quipped, but Nora could see the look of dread in his eyes when she turned to smirk at him.

“Ok, new plan: we get the hell out of here. Quietly.” Nora hissed.

“Normally I would say I can climb up on those ruins over there and snipe him, but…”

“But that would definitely rip your stitches.” Nora finished.

“Right. So we go with your plan.”

Nora led the way, creeping away from the car down the street in the opposite direction from the Behemoth. MacCready followed her, grunting quietly as he tried to keep up. Nora glanced over her shoulder to watch the Behemoth, it seemed to be lumbering around picking up random objects and then tossing them aside. It hadn’t noticed them. She could also see that MacCready was struggling slightly to keep pace with her. She stopped to wait for him.

“Are you ok?” She whispered.

“Yeah. The stitches are just pulling when I crouch.”

“Let me see.” Nora lifted his shirt slightly. The bandage covering his stitches was speckled with fresh blood. “Shit, they’re starting to tear.” She glanced over at the Behemoth; it continued to lumber away from them. “Ok. we’re going to have to quietly walk out of here instead. Careful not to bend too much.” Nora slowly stood up and offered MacCready a hand to help him stand.

“Alright, let’s get outta here.”

They softly walked northbound away from the ruins until they crested a hill and Nora was certain the danger had passed.

“Well, that wasn’t one of my better ideas.” Nora stood catching her breath, she realized she’d been holding it as they snuck away. “The Starlight Drive In shouldn’t be too far, maybe we can find somewhere to sit and rest there.”

“Whatever you say.” MacCready held his side.

They continued traipsing at a slowed pace until the giant movie screen came into view. As they entered the crumbling lot, Nora could see that there were several cars that still seemed to be intact. That gave her an idea. She approached the nearest one, it was locked, but the rear window was missing. She reached through and pulled the lock of the driver’s side door. She climbed in and felt under the seats, then she popped open the glovebox, finding nothing of interest.

“Whatcha looking for?” MacCready watched her criously.

“Sometimes people would sneak booze into the movies. I’m trying to find some so I can disinfect my supplies to fix your stitches.” She moved on to the next car. This one, while rusted, was surprisingly completely intact and unlocked. She opened the driver’s side door and continued her search.

“Get in and have a seat.” She motioned for MacCready to open the passenger’s side door. He did and sat down carefully, leaving the door open for air flow. “Hell yes!” Nora triumphantly held aloft half a bottle of whiskey.

“Nice.” MacCready offered a half smile. 

“Sit back for me and I’ll patch you up again.” Nora set her pack between them on the bench seat and fished out her med kit, handing the whiskey to MacCready, who immediately took a swig. “Hey not too much! I need that.”

“Relax, there’s plenty.”

Nora held out her hand for the whiskey bottle which MacCready reluctantly handed to her. She sterilized her needle and thread. She pulled the bandages away to examine the wound. The stitches were indeed ripping, but not as badly as she had feared. She worked quickly to reinforce the stitching while MacCready grunted quietly in pain. She used the last of her bandages to cover the wound.

“There. That should hold until we get back to Sanctuary. It’s not that much further, even if we rest here for a while, we should still be able to get there before dark.” Nora put her medkit away.

“I’m fine, but I won’t say no to a break. This seat is surprisingly comfortable.” MacCready grabbed the whiskey and took another swig, leaning his head back on the seat. Nora took the bottle from him, sealed it and tossed it in her pack. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments.

“So what was this place like back in the day?” He asked, turning his head to look at her.

“It was fun. It was wall-to-wall cars on Friday and Saturday nights. Cars full of families, friends, couples getting frisky.” Nora reminisced.

“Really?!” 

“Yes, really.”

“No way. People could watch a movie on a giant screen  _ and _ fool around at the same time?!” MacCready asked awe-struck.

“Yup.” Nora laughed.

“Man, what a world.”

“Yeah, it was,” Nora said fondly and smiled at him. 

MacCready returned her smile. “So, uh...thanks for patching me up...you know, again.”

“You’re welcome...again. Let’s try to be a little more careful this time around.”

MacCready glanced down at her hand, wanting her to touch him again. “I...uh...had something I wanted to tell you. I’ve...uh...been thinking a lot about...” But he trailed off as he met her eyes again and saw her looking past him apprehensively. He turned to look over his shoulder and could see the cause of her alarm. Several feral ghouls were wandering across the parking lot roughly a hundred feet from where he and Nora sat. “Shit.”

“If we just sit here quietly, hopefully they won’t notice us.” Nora whispered out of the side of her mouth.

“Yeah, but where there’s a few there’s always more.” MacCready’s breathing quickened.

They sat watching the group of ferals shambling about. MacCready carefully checked that his sniper rifle was loaded, clicking the safety off and preparing to aim. Nora scooted closer to him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t. The gunshot will just attract more, won’t it?”

“It’s just in case.” He chambered a round. The clack of chambering the round echoed across the quiet of the cracked blacktop. The nearest feral ghoul perked its head up and turned to look directly at them.

“Shit, MacCready.” Nora griped in his ear.

The ghoul reared its head back and let out a terrifying glottal hiss. A second later, its head exploded as a shot rang out from MacCready’s rifle. This was immediately followed by a chorus of hisses from all directions and the growing sound of footsteps as the ghouls sprinted towards them. MacCready worked to quickly chamber another round, but his hands started trembling. Nora, thinking quickly, slammed the driver’s side door shut and leaped across MacCready’s lap to yank his door closed just in time. Nora flinched at the sounds of several feral ghoul bodies crashing against the car as a dozen of them descended upon the vehicle, rocking it slightly. MacCready started panting and frantically looking around at the ferals scratching at the windows. Nora pulled the rifle from his shaking hands and set it on the floor of the car. She could see he was starting to hyperventilate. She firmly touched his shoulder.

“It’s ok. MacCready, we’re ok.”

But he appeared not to hear her. He continued to breathe heavily and clamored to move away from the ghouls at his window, but upon noticing the car was surrounded, his eyes widened and darted wildly. He was in the midst of a full-on panic attack. Nora quickly straddled his lap, putting pressure on his legs to help ground him, and held his face in her hands, preventing him from looking at the ghouls.

“MacCready. Hey, MacCready, look at me.”

His face was flushed and twisted with panic, his eyes looked at her, but were unfocused in a thousand-yard stare. “They’re everywhere.” His voice was distant.

“I know. But we’re safe, they can’t get to us. Look at me, don’t look at them.”

MacCready continued his unfocused stare, but continued to breath heavily.

“What’s your name?” Nora said calmly continuing to try to ground him.

“R-robert.”

“Robert what? Tell me your full name.”

“Robert J-joseph MacCready.”

“Good. That’s good, I like your name. What’s your son’s name?”

“Du-Duncan.” He continued trying to gulp in air.

“Great. Where is Duncan right now?”

“In...the Capital Wasteland.”

“And he’s safe there, right?” Nora kept her voice low and soothing.

“Yes.”

“What’s my name?”

“Nora.” He finally met her eyes and his breathing started to grow steadier. “Nora.”

“Good." She nodded encouragingly at him. "We’re ok. Tell me we’re ok.”

“We...we’re ok.” MacCready took a deep breath. Nora gently loosened her grip on his head. She also noticed that the ghouls had stopped flinging themselves at the car.

“Just keep breathing, MacCready.”

He took another deep breath. Then another.

“Are you ok?”

“I think so.” He looked down, embarrassed that she had to see him like this.

Nora slowly glanced at the ghouls that surrounded them, they stood hunched and watching her. “I’m kind of afraid to move too much while they’re watching us. Am I hurting you?” 

“No. It’s...nice actually.” MacCready said quietly.

“Nice?”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “When I’ve freaked out like that before I’ve been alone or...or not...not with someone who would help me through it. Not someone I cared about.”

Nora’s heart skipped. She was tempted to kiss him. To hold him tightly and tell him how much she cared about him, but she didn’t want to take advantage of his vulnerability. It wouldn’t be fair to him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders hugging him. “I know the feeling.” 

He slowly moved his arms to her back, returning the hug. They sat there holding each other. MacCready would have given anything to make the embrace last forever. He breathed her in as she pressed against him, growing half erect and hoping she didn’t notice.  _ ‘I love you. Say it.’ _ Nora slowly pulled away, her nose practically brushing against his cheek. He parted his lips, wanting to meet hers, but the sudden grunt of a ghoul drew both of their attention to the passenger window. Two ghouls snarled and snapped at each other briefly before losing interest and wandering away from the car in opposite directions. This also seemed to draw the attention of the rest of the ghouls. 

“Looks like we might be able to just wait them out.” Nora whispered, slowly sliding off of MacCready’s lap and onto the seat next to him. He let out an audible disappointed sigh. “Are you ok?” She asked.

“Yeah,” He grunted, trying to casually adjust his fatigues. 

They sat silently watching the ghouls shamble around and ever-so-slowly away from the car. By the time the last of the ferals had wandered a significant distance away, the sun had dipped below the horizon. Nora finally dared to speak.

“I guess we’re sleeping here tonight, then.”

“Could be worse, right?” MacCready said softly. “Better in here than out there.”

“True. I was just looking forward to an actual bed tonight.” They sat quietly for a few more moments. “Do you feel ok?”

“I’ll live.” He forced a smile at her.

“I’ll take the back seat so you don’t have to climb over and rip your stitches again.” Nora Patted his shoulder before clumsily crawling into the backseat of the car. “Ow, shit.”

“Ah, she’s beauty, she’s grace...” he snarked.

“And she’ll punch you in the face!” Nora threatened, smacking his shoulder benignly. 

He chuckled and carefully tried to find a comfortable reclined position on the front seat.

“I’ll take first watch so you can rest,” she offered, leaning over the seat back to look at him.

“I would fight you on that, but I am really worn out right now.” MacCready smiled up at her in the fading light.

“I know. That panic hangover is a bitch.”

“Yeah...” MacCready was quiet for several minutes. “Can I ask you something?” He didn’t meet her eyes at first.

“Of course.” 

“Do you think I’m a bad parent? I mean, leaving Duncan the way I did.”

“What? No, of course not. You risked so much to come up here for him.”

“I guess...can I be honest with you?”

“Always.” 

“In coming to the Commonwealth, I wonder...if a part of me was also trying to run away.” His eyes misted over slightly and he turned his face away from her.

Nora looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. “Maybe that’s true. But you didn’t run away; you followed through on what you set out to do. We got the medicine and now he’s going to be ok.” She reached down and touched his hand.

“Yeah...thanks.” He looked at her hand momentarily before holding it. He squeezed it gently and looked up at her. She felt herself blushing slightly as she smiled kindly at him. He opened his mouth to speak. ‘ _ Say it _ .’ But he was overcome with self doubt and instead withdrew his hand and closed his eyes.

“Good night,” he said quickly as he carefully turned onto his side to sleep.

Nora affectionately watched him resting for several minutes before turning her attention to the shambling feral ghouls at the edges of the drive-in parking lot.


	10. Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, smut!
> 
> This chapter gets NSFW

Nora breathed heavily as she crested the hill. The broken asphalt beneath her tired feet baked in the afternoon sun. As she rounded the corner, the aging Minuteman monument that stood outside of Sanctuary Hills came into view. She sighed with relief. It was good to finally be almost home. After the adventurous and grueling past several days, she welcomed the sight of the old world relic. Ironically, she had always found the statue gaudy and unappealing –the neighborhood eyesore- some two hundred years ago, before the bombs fell. In her old life. But now, even though she still found the statue unattractive and even more out of place in this new broken world, she at least felt a small sense of comfort seeing the old thing.

She carefully stepped onto the creaking ancient wooden bridge that spanned the Misty Lake River. How this structure had managed to survive nuclear war and remain standing and mostly intact after two centuries was nothing short of miraculous. In truth, Nora wasn’t certain she believed in miracles anymore. She and MacCready continued their trek on the cracked street around the bend into Sanctuary Hills. Nora knew MacCready hadn’t felt completely at ease when staying in the settlement. Something about the pre-war houses made him wary. She appreciated his loyalty up to this point -not something she ever expected when she first hired him. As they walked, she glanced at the crumbling houses in the distance, some of them no more than shells, skeletons of their former state-of-the-art prestige. The memories here were still painful, and she often considered moving her base of operations to another settlement, one that didn’t trigger quite as many flashbacks and nightmares. Or at least a settlement without that vault in its backyard. Lost in thought, she hadn’t noticed MacCready had failed to keep pace with her and had fallen back. 

“Hey, do you mind if we talk a minute?” His voice finally stirred her from her thoughts.

She turned to him. He had stopped next to a large boulder off the road several feet behind her, looking slightly uncomfortable. 

“Is everything alright?” She asked.

“Uh…yeah,” he stammered. 

“Are your stitches bothering you?”

“No. Well, yeah...a little. But that’s not what I wanted to say.” 

This was unlike him, he’d been acting a little weird these past few days. She had noticed that he had been oddly quiet since they left the Starlight Drive In that morning, but she assumed he was just processing everything they had been through recently. However, him _ wanting to talk _ made Nora think that maybe that loyalty she had noted just a moment ago was about to cash out. He’d been especially gentle the past few days, but his conversation about Duncan with her the night before made her wonder if maybe he was actually working up the nerve to tell her he was leaving the Commonwealth.

“What did you want to talk about?” Nora asked, trying not to let the small sense of apprehension creep into her voice.

“Well, I…I wanted to say thank you. Again,” MacCready started, “What you did for me –for Duncan- it means the world to me. Your...your friendship...can I call it that? Anyway, it’s been the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you. I don’t deserve it.”

“MacCready, you don’t have to keep thanking me, worrying that you owe me. You’ve been good to me too. Thank _ you _.” Nora replied, approaching him.

“I know I…” MacCready trailed off as Nora hugged him tightly. Taken aback slightly, MacCready eventually returned her embrace. 

Nora knew he was saying goodbye and that made her feel so many things at once. She, of course, understood; MacCready had to go back to the Capital Wasteland, back to his son. She didn’t begrudge him it at all, she just knew she was going to miss him desperately. Something she never thought she’d say about MacCready of all people. She valued his friendship, but she knew she wanted more: to be close to him, to be held by him, to be with him. 

It started during the three days MacCready hadn’t been speaking to her in Goodneighbor after their fight. Dreaming about him every night made her realize her feelings were more than just friendly towards him. Even days later after they had buried the hatchet, she still found her thoughts drifting back to the evening they first met in the quiet moments on the road, her heart fluttering whenever MacCready stood close to her. But now that he was going to leave and she knew she’d probably never see him again, she felt emboldened. ‘_ No time like the present _.’

“You know, the day we met when you hugged me I believe you threatened to shoot me.” MacCready teased, but his chuckle was cut short as Nora kissed his lips gently. After a moment, she pulled away slowly and looked into his eyes. 

“Oh, I really hope this isn’t the part where you shoot me.” MacCready quipped, trying to recover from the shock of what just happened.

“No shooting. I promise. I care about you...a lot. I have for a while now. I was wondering if you ever thought about us as something more than friends?” Nora offered.

“Really? I...uh…” MacCready stammered his face flushed. He had been so focused on working up the nerve to tell her how he felt that he was in complete awe that she not only had feelings for him in return, but that she made the first move. “I...really…?” 

Nora couldn’t hide her disappointment as she slowly released her hold on him. 

“No, wait. Yes. Me too. I...I’ve thought about it, you know like thought...thought about _ you _ .” MacCready rubbed the back of his neck. “I just never imagined you could feel the same so I just...didn’t know how...” He trailed off, at a loss for words. ‘ _ Just say it, idiot _!’

Nora smiled sweetly. “Why wouldn’t you think I could feel something for you?”

“Because, you- you’re amazing. I’m just some jackass with a gun. You? You’re strong and beautiful and you have the world on your back and you’ve helped me without a second thought. You saved me, I don’t just mean patching me up, you saved me from myself. I know we’ve had some issues, but I’ve never even had a _ friend _ like that, yet alone somebody I was in love with.” MacCready confessed. 

“You’re in love with me?” Nora asked breathlessly. She had been hoping he was attracted to her and also had feelings for her that went deeper than friendship, but she never imagined her was _ in love _ with her. 

MacCready's eyes fell, embarrassed._ ‘That’s one way to do it, jackass. _’

“Well...yeah.” he said barely above a whisper. 

Nora studied his face momentarily, but he refused to meet her gaze. She knew she cared about him, but love? Besides what good would it do her to fall in love with someone who was about to leave? Regardless, she reached out and gently lifted his face to hers, kissing him tenderly. He kissed her back. After a moment, the kiss came to an end. 

“I care about you so much. I hate that we’re saying goodbye.” Nora said softly, tears springing to her eyes.

“Goodbye? Seriously, you’re not gonna shoot me, right?” 

She chuckled lightly. “No. But I understand why you have to leave.”

“Where am I be going without you?” He gave her a confused look.

“MacCready, I can’t go to the Capital Wasteland! I know finding a way into the Institute seems impossible, but I’m going to do it. I’m not giving up on Shaun. Not ever.” Nora vowed.

“I know. I never...ask you to?” 

“Wait, you’re not telling me you’re leaving to go back to the Capital Wasteland?” Nora asked.

“No. Why would I?”

“Well, because Duncan’s there, of course.”

“Right.” MacCready was finally starting to understand. “What I was getting at before you...before we...well before all the kissing and the feelings sharing…” MacCready laughed nervously. “I was going to ask if you wanted an extra hand or two around here. I’ve been giving it some thought these past couple days. What if I hire a caravan to bring Duncan here once I get word he’s well enough to travel? It’s safer up here in a settlement. We could live here in Sanctuary with you and Shaun. Or well...not _ with _ you but...here. Unless, you don’t want that...” He trailed off; this had sounded so much better in his head.

“I think that sounds like a great idea.” Nora beamed.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Good, I’m glad.” He sighed, relaxing a bit. He put his arm on the small of her back, gently pulling her close. ”Now, what was it you were saying?” He asked smiling cheekily. Nora kissed him.

MacCready sighed deeply, pulling her into him as they kissed. Nora’s hands found their way to the back of his neck, as she kissed him hungrily. He groaned softly with desire and braced himself against the boulder behind them. Nora felt foggy with lust. It had been so long since she’d even wanted to be held like this. The heat from his breath mingled with her own and she could feel his growing firmness pressing against her and she knew he hungered for her too. Nora wanted to stand there pressed against him until the end of time.

MacCready couldn’t think straight. His heart pounded in his ears. Was this really happening? She felt so right in his arms. The way her fingers ran through his hair made him think he might explode. No woman had kissed him like this before. He felt himself growing hard against her and he suddenly became very aware that they were outside, and probably not alone. But he almost didn’t care, she made him feel so good. He never wanted to stop kissing her, but the low bellow of a brahmin broke the spell. MacCready pulled away quickly.

“Is everything ok?” Nora asked startled.

“Yeah, I just feel eyes on me.” MacCready replied.

“Aw, are you nervous to kiss me in front of the cows? Especially after the brahmin incident?” Nora quipped playfully.

“Hey! You promised we’d never speak of that again. No, I’m just feeling a little -ahem- exposed is all.” MacCready reached down to adjust his pants, trying to be subtle.

“Oh, right, sorry about that,” Nora breathed softly in his ear. “I guess I came on a little strong.”

“Oh no, no woman should ever apologize for a kiss like that.” 

They stood fondly gazing at each other until the sound of a pack brahmin’s bell clanged behind them. They both turned to look, MacCready’s hand palming his pistol. A caravan trader was making her way across the bridge behind them. 

“I guess we should head in,” Nora nodded her head towards the center of town.

“Alright.”

Together, they trekked up the street towards the center of the subdivision, giving the pack brahmin a wide berth. MacCready sweetly reached out and took Nora’s hand in his as they walked. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand before pulling him closer to her. They paused near the cooking fire in front of one of the rebuilt houses. 

“That’s one of the common houses. You can head in there to wash up if you’d like. There should be plenty of footlockers to stash your stuff in.” 

“Oh, I’m common now, am I?” He jested.

“You are anything but common, MacCready.” Nora kissed his cheek sweetly. “Do you want to have dinner at my house, or something?”

“Or _ something _?” He flirted.

“Or something,” Nora whispered seductively -her lips brushing his ear- before walking away. “See you in a bit,” she called out over her shoulder as she sauntered away towards her house, purposely throwing a little extra hip swivel in her step.

“K,” MacCready answered distractedly as he watched her walk away.

***

Nora rinsed herself with a washcloth and a bucket of cool water in the remnants of her once pristine pre-war bathroom. She missed indoor plumbing. Hopefully, she could scrounge together some parts to make an outdoor gravity-fed shower behind her house soon. Man, to see the look on everyone’s faces when they see an honest-to-god shower, with running water and everything. ‘_ It’ll blow their fucking minds _.’ She thought, chuckling to herself. A knock at her front door told her MacCready had probably arrived. 

“Shit,” she muttered as she skittered into her bedroom to find something to wear. “Codsworth, can you go into your standby mode until morning please?” 

“Yes, if there is nothing further you would require of me today, Misses, I shall conserve power.” Codsworth made his way into what was once a laundry room where his base was housed. 

“It’s open, I’ll be right out!” Nora called out while she scrounged in her pre-war steamer trunk. She heard the front door creak open slowly and then shut. She found a pale pink nighty in the bottom of the trunk. ‘_ Whoever’d thought this would see action after the world ended _ ,’ she laughed to herself. ‘ _ This might be overdoing it. No way MacCready’s changing his clothes; how many pairs of fatigues does that man own anyway?’ _ she thought with a chuckle.

“Fuck it, you only live once.” She threw the nighty over her head. The smooth satin clung to her damp skin. She had almost forgotten what it was like to feel sexy. She could hear boots awkwardly pacing her living room. Nora quietly slunk down the hall towards the living area. She hugged the wall and dramatically leaned around the corner. 

“Hello-o-o, handso- oh shit!”

It wasn’t MacCready standing in her living room, but Preston Garvey. Preston stood uncomfortably for a moment and quickly averted his eyes.

“Oh. Sorry General.” He nodded curtly.

“Oh god, Preston! Sorry, I thought you were- uh...someone else.” Nora folded her arms in front of her chest to try to hide her plunging neckline.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting, this can wait.” Preston answered stiffly and moved towards the front door.

“No, Preston, it’s ok, is it important? I can- let me put something on.”

“No, General. This can wait. I just wanted to discuss the new turrets and maybe more fortifications. Please enjoy your evening.” Preston opened the front door and exited quickly, nearly bumping right into MacCready.

“Garvey.” MacCready said coldly. “I guess I didn’t realize it was a dinner party.”

“I was just leaving,” a flustered Preston replied uncomfortably as he pushed past MacCready and walked down the street. MacCready watched Preston with narrowed eyes as he trudged away.

“Are you coming in or are you just going to glare at Preston all night?” Nora teased from inside.

MacCready turned to face her. “Oh. Wow. I uh, feel a little...overdressed.” He smiled and quickly stepped inside and shut the door. “Also, I’m sure there’s a perfectly boring reason why you’re wearing _ that _ and Garvey just left here looking like you punched him in the gut.” MacCready joked.

“Oh stop.” she slapped his arm playfully. “He had something to talk to me about but when I heard him knock, I thought it was you, so I came out here looking like _ this _ and things got all uncomfortable.”

“Oh, even more boring than I thought.” MacCready stepped closer to her. “But this. This is definitely not boring.” His voice became low and breathy as he looked at her. He caressed her bare shoulder gently and then put his hands on the small of her back. He moved in to kiss her. She kissed him back gently. She reached up to take his hat off and tossed it to the floor. Then rubbed the back of his neck as they kissed.

“I wanted to kiss you like this in the car last night.” MacCready said beathily between kisses.

“I wanted you to kiss me like this in the car last night.” 

MacCready groaned, “And I will regret _ not _ kissing you in that car last night the rest of my life.”

Nora pressed against his hips with hers and ran her fingers through his hair eliciting ravenous moans from him. She snaked her hands down to his shirt buttons fumbling with them. Suddenly, she stopped kissing him and pulled her lips away from his slightly.

“How do you feel about this shirt?” Nora asked slyly.

“Wh- it’s fine,” MacCready replied absentmindedly.

“Tell me you hate it.” Nora stated, staring into his eyes knowingly.

“I hate it.” MacCready parroted quickly.

“Good.” Nora ripped open the shirt. The poorly stitched buttons easily broke off. She wrenched the shirt down MacCready's arms and torso, and flung it unceremoniously across the room. “It looks better on my floor, anyway.”

MacCready laughed lustily. Nora kissed him again, sliding her hands under his undershirt before pulling that over his head and depositing it on the floor too. She eyed MacCready's bare torso. She gently ran her hands across his chest. He had a thin frame, but he had more muscle definition than she expected. She slowly ran her fingers over his skin, taking him in, but careful to avoid the bandages and bruising on his left side. Her fingers found several large crescent scars on his left side that followed his 4th rib. She met his eyes curiously.

“Yao guai,” he said gruffly. 

She bent down and sensually kissed the scars. He tensed momentarily, confused, but soon relaxed. Her fingers next found a bottle cap-sized scar that looked like an “x” just below his clavicle. She traced it lightly with her finger tips. 

“Bullet. Courtesy of the Gunners.” 

Nora leaned in and carefully kissed the x. Next, her eyes found a series of scars down his right bicep. They looked older and not as well-cared for. She traced them gently with her fingers.

“Molerat when I was a kid,” he whispered. “But if anyone asks, it was a deathclaw.”

Nora chuckled and kissed the scars sweetly. She ran her hands over his chest and kissed his sternum. He held her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Slowly and tenderly, she kissed down his chest, down his stomach, until she was kneeling in front of him. Nora ran her tongue along his waistband. MacCready gasped and reached out to steady himself against the kitchen counter. She continued gently licking the skin along his waistband while rubbing the front of his thighs. The half-laugh, half-moan that escaped his lips next told Nora he enjoyed it. She could feel his erection through his pants. She slowly stood up, but continued to trace his waistband with her fingers. 

“Do you want to take this party somewhere more bedroom-y,” she asked.

Words escaping him momentarily, MacCready simply nodded, his eyes glassy with lust.

Nora grabbed him by his belt and dragged him down the hallway to her bedroom. Nora plopped down on the edge of her bed, facing MacCready, her hand still on his belt.

“I like a woman who takes charge.”

“Good, now take off your pants,” Nora ordered him playfully.

“Yes ma’am,” he said as he mock saluted her. He fumbled with his boots, and then his belt momentarily before removing his fatigues.

Nora eyed him up and down licking her lips with desire. She caressed his leg with her foot before reaching out and pulling his hips closer to her. She kissed him just below his belly button and slowly began tracing his treasure trail with her tongue, teasing him. He gasped for air and braced himself against her bed frame.

“Does that feel good?” Nora whispered.

“Yeah..uh...no one’s ever… made...me...” MacCready trailed off losing his ability to speak as Nora took his erection into her mouth. She teased him with her tongue as she moved him in and out of her mouth. He groaned with pleasure. She led one of his hands to fondle her breast while she sucked him off. When his breathing quickened and grew sharper, Nora slowed her pace and then pulled her mouth off of him.

“On your back so I can fuck your brains out,” she ordered. 

“Well, you’re the boss,“ he said breathlessly.

Once he was lying on his back on her bed, she straddled him. She ripped the nighty over her head and tossed it to the floor. Even in the dimly lit room, MacCready could see all of her.

“God you’re so beautiful,” he said hoarsely, caressing her back and sides.

She slowly lowered herself onto him so that he penetrated her, moaning when he did. She rocked back and forth. MacCready's hands found their way to her breasts, stroking them tenderly. 

“Here,” she whispered as she guided one of his hands to the fleshy spot just beneath her pubic bone. She moved his fingers in a circular motion, the way she wanted him to and he caught on quickly. “Yes. There.” She moaned as they moved rhythmically together. Pleasure quickly overwhelmed her and she could feel it exploding throughout her body. She cried out as wave after wave of release swept through her. She slowed her thrusting and all but collapsed on his chest panting, her body suddenly feeling very heavy.

“Everything alright,” he asked coyly, still slowly swiveling his hips beneath her.

“Oh, god yes,” she breathed and kissed him passionately.

MacCready paused his hip movements just long enough to place a hand on her back and in one swift movement swept her onto her back so that he was on top of her.

“Wow!” Nora laughed. “Looks like you’ve done that before.”

“Nope, read it in a book once. Glad it worked.” MacCready quipped back at her and slowly resumed moving inside her.

She giggled but as MacCready moved in her gently and methodically, kissing her deeply she was overwhelmed by pleasure again. This time it built gradually inside her. 

“Yes,” she moaned as she orgasmed again, clawing the back of his head; his slow methodical movements never ceasing.

She wrapped her left leg around him so he could penetrate her deeper. MacCready groaned as he moved deeper in her. His ears started buzzing, she felt so soft and wet it was electrifying especially when she constricted around him at the height of her pleasure. He tried to stay focused, but he could feel himself getting past the point of no return.

“Harder,” Nora moaned in his ear. He thrust inside her harder.

“Yes. Harder!”

“Oh I want to, but if I do, I can’t promise I can last much longer.” MacCready whispered.

“I don’t care, please fuck me harder,” Nora moaned louder.

He obliged. His hard deep thrusts brought her pleasure almost immediately. Nora cried out when she climaxed again; the sound that escaped her throat was animalistic and surprised her. She kissed his lips forcefully. She sucked on his neck, then moved up to his earlobe, chewing on it gently. MacCready moaned and thrust faster, he couldn’t stop. Nora continued to suck on his earlobe moaning lightly in his ear.

“I want to make you feel good.” She whispered intimately.

“Oh you do.” MacCready replied haltingly. He was so close.

Nora sucked on his earlobe harder.

“Oh god,” he cried out involuntarily as his body stiffened with release. After two final thrusts he collapsed on her chest, gasping for air, almost laughing with pleasure. Nora wrapped her arms warmly around him, holding his head to her chest. She stroked his hair lovingly.

“That,” he said, turning his head so he could meet her eyes, “was amazing.” 

“Uh-huh, definitely worth the wait.”

They lay entangled, breathing together until the sounds of their growling stomachs reminded them they hadn’t eaten in several hours.


	11. Sanctuary Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Violence, blood, etc, and a bit NSFW

The bellow of brahmin stirred them both from their sleep as the morning light crept through the curtains. MacCready loved waking up spooning Nora, his arms wrapped around her, their bare bodies pressed together. He nuzzled the back of her neck.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.”

“Mmmm...no,” she protested playfully, kissing his arm that was draped over her.

He sweetly kissed her neck. She giggled gently, reaching behind her to caress his head. He held her closer to him, if that was even possible.

“I can’t believe I’m laying here with you right now.”

“It’s real, I promise.” She ran her fingers through his hair, scratching the back of his head and neck.

He groaned with enjoyment. “How do you do that?” 

“What?”

“You’re barely touching me and I’m already hard.” He said breathlessly.

“Witchcraft,” she teased, turning her head upwards to kiss him. He clutched her naked form to his as he kissed her, moving down to sensually kiss her neck again, then her shoulder. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he kissed down her arm. He took her hand in his and kissed each finger tip, then her palm, and continued lightly kissing up the inside of her arm until she couldn’t stand it anymore. She cackled, snatching her arm away.

“That tickles!”

“You know,” he whispered conspiratorially. “It just occurred to me that we are two naked people.”

“That  _ just _ occurred to you?” Nora laughed.

“Well, no,” he continued coyly, “but, I thought I should point it out because I happen to know that there are several activities that naked people can do in a bed such as this.” He swept his arm out dramatically, indicating the bed and eliciting a small snort from her.

“Oh really? Please, do educate me, Mr. MacCready.” 

“Well,” MacCready murmured sexily. “There’s cuddling.” He kissed her neck.

“Then there’s kissing.” He kissed her collarbone and deliberately kissed his way down her chest, down her stomach. She watched him. He met her eyes, the mischievous twinkle that she loved sparkled back at her. Her insides tingled with desire, she whimpered softly as he stopped kissing.

“Or, you know we could just go back to sleep.” MacCready joked as he lay back down next to her.

“Oh you goddamn dirty tease!” Nora giggled, playfully slapping at him. 

They laughed for a moment before MacCready kissed her again. She ran her fingers through his hair. He kissed her neck, then moved to kiss her collarbone, sensually tracing his original path down her chest and abdomen. But he wasn’t playing this time. Nora moaned encouragingly. MacCready's lips kissed across her abdomen to her hip, then down to her inner thigh, then down to her knee.

“Dirty tease,” she moaned with desire. He smiled, but kissed his way slowly back up her thigh. Nora let out a breathy yip of surprise and enjoyment when she felt his tongue inside her. He moved purposefully in her, pulling her hips closer to him so that he could go deeper. Nora moaned louder and longer running her fingers passionately through his hair. She swayed her hips, the volume of her moans increasing still.

“Shhh,” he whispered gently, pausing his osculating tongue, “the whole settlement can hear you.” 

“I don’t care, please don’t stop.” Nora whimpered throatily, but she grabbed her pillow and held it to her face to muffle her titillated cries.

MacCready resumed his work pleasuring her. He pulsed his tongue in and out, curling it upward to tease her most sensitive organ as he exited and entered her again. Nora bleated with growing ecstasy into the pillow, her hips bucking into him, her muscles flexing. She was so close. But suddenly he stopped and sat up. 

Nora pulled the pillow off of her face. “Seriously, it was funny the first ti-” That’s when she heard the warning siren. “Son of a bitch!”

MacCready leapt off the bed and started fumbling with his pants. “I told you you were too loud,” he tried to joke but he couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice.

Nora hurriedly threw on her clothes and stomped over to her footlocker for her shotgun. “Oh it had better be an actual fucking emergency because someone’s about to get a face full of shot!” 

“Wow. Remind me never to interrupt foreplay again.” MacCready snarked.

“You’re goddamn right.” Nora retorted, cocking her shotgun forcefully. She marched down the hall to hastily tie her boots before throwing open the front door.

“God, I love that woman.” MacCready couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he slipped into his boots. He followed her, pausing only long enough to grab her combat armor chest piece from a hook in the hall and his undershirt and hat from the floor where they left them the night before. He jogged outside after her, and called out. “Nora!” She looked over her shoulder at him. He tossed her armor to her, “Stay safe!”

She caught the armor and deftly threw it over her head, tightening the straps, never breaking her stride. “Thanks. Got my back?”

“Always,” MacCready replied with a wink, “Gotta grab my gun and I’m right behind you.” MacCready hurried over to the common house to retrieve his weapon.

Nora gathered with the rest of the settlers at the entrance to town. Preston was already barking orders as settlers fanned out along the river and near the entrance to town. 

“For the love of god someone kill the siren!” 

The siren slowly wailed to a stop. Nora could see pillars of smoke and hear gunfire coming from the RedRocket Truck stop southeast of Sanctuary Hills. The residents down there were clearly putting up a fight with whatever it was. She crouched behind the barricade that guarded this side of the bridge next to several other settlers. ‘ _ Between MacCready and the new turrets, hopefully whatever is out there won’t get very close.’ _ Nora thought to herself. She looked around for MacCready. She caught sight of him climbing the southeastern guard tower, sniper rifle in hand. Movement across the river grabbed her attention. Several figures moved through the brush on the opposite river bank heading upstream. Nora watched the guard tower. She could see the muzzle of MacCready's rifle slide over the railing. A single shot rang out. The body of a raider slumped down the riverbank from the bushes opposite the tower.

“Hold positions, raiders.” Nora whispered to the settlers around her. She noticed more movement across the bank and expected another shot to ring out from MacCready's rifle. Instead, something that looked like a rock came flying across the river and bounced under the guard tower. 

“Shit. Grenade!” Nora screamed a second before the explosion crippled the tower.

“Raiders!” Someone else shrieked as ten raiders came charging across the bridge. The turrets fired wildly.

“Open fire!” Nora sprinted towards the teetering guard tower. Gunfire erupted behind her as the settlers fought to defend their home. Everything felt like it slowed down. The frag grenade explosion under the guard tower had ripped away one of its legs and badly damaged another. She looked up and could see a large hole had been blown in the floor from the blast. “MacCready?!” She called out desperately. Thankfully, she soon saw him stumbling down the stairs of the tower, bright red blood seeping through the left side of his undershirt and down his pant leg. Her ears were ringing with panic as she ran to him. She helped him away from the teetering tower and behind a nearby house, where she laid him on the ground to examine him.

“I'm fine.” MacCready's voice sounded muffled to her ringing ears. 

“There’s too much blood for you to be fine,” she barked at him. “And why aren’t you wearing a regular shirt?!”

“You said it looked better on your floor last night.”

She could see that he had some superficial cuts littering his face and torso from the splintered wood shrapnel.  _ ‘Where is the blood coming from?! _ ’ She turned him over on his right side and lifted his undershirt. She swore under her breath.

“What? What is it?” MacCready asked trying to mask the concern in his voice.


	12. Out of the Frying Pan

“What? What is it?” 

Nora kneeled next to MacCready, peeling his undershirt back to examine him. She pushed the nearby echoes of gunshots and yelling of the settlers fighting off raiders out of her mind. Blood seeped through the bandages on his side. She gently pulled those back too.

“Your stitches from your little brahmin encounter ripped open and you’re bleeding. I told you to take it easy with those,” she quipped grimly.

“Well, you see, doc I  _ was _ taking it easy but then this beautiful woman fucked my brains out last night and I got all stupid.” MacCready replied lightheartedly.

Nora laughed in spite of everything. “Well, maybe strenuous activities need to take a short hiatus until you’re healed.”

“Aw don’t say that.” 

“Hold still.” Nora pulled her field knife from its sheath on her belt and carefully cut the sleeves off of her shirt.

“You know, I’m no expert, but I don’t think that’s how stripteases are supposed to work,” MacCready quipped.

“Ha ha,” she said dryly, “I’m making bandages, smartass.” She folded the pieces of cloth together and pressed firmly on MacCready's side.

“Gah!” he cried out in pain. “Not so rough, doc. I might get turned on.” He tried to banter through gritted teeth. 

“Oh shut up and hold still.” Nora noticed the color was draining from MacCready's face. “Do you feel dizzy?” 

“Only when you touch me.” MacCready winked at her.

“MacCready.” She glared at him. “I’m serious. How do you feel?!”

“Eh...my head is a little fuzzy.” 

Nora noticed that the gunfire had died down. “OK, keep pressure here. I need to find a stretcher and more hands to carry you back.”

“No, I’m fine, I’ll walk.” MacCready started to sit up.

Nora shoved him back to the ground. “Like hell you will. Stay here.”

MacCready furrowed his brow, but he followed her orders and lay still, holding his split side. He watched her stand and walk carefully back towards the bridge. The left side of his body was starting to hurt like hell, but mostly he noticed that he ached for Nora. He couldn’t get over how happy she made him. It was better than any drug. He smiled to himself, not quite believing his own damn good luck. But that happiness quickly gave way to fear and panic as he saw a raider stumble up the riverbank and run at Nora.

“Nora!” MacCready screamed, struggling to get to his feet.

Nora could see bodies littering the bridge, most looked like raiders, but she needed to get closer to be sure. The gunfire had stopped, but she held her shotgun at the ready just in case. The sound of MacCready's scream behind her caused her to stop and spin around just in time for a raider to spear her in the chest with his rusted machete, toppling Nora onto her back on the ground. As the raider raised the machete over his head to chop at her, Nora gave a swift kick with the heel of her boot, kicking his knee out of its socket. This caused him to lose his balance and fall forward. As he fell, Nora shoved the bayonet on the end of her gun into his exposed gut. 

“You little bitch!” 

The raider spat his final words as Nora pulled the trigger of her shotgun, ending him. His filthy body landed in a heap on top of her, his blood now spattered on her armor. ‘ _ Ugh, fucking gross _ .’ She quickly shoved the lifeless body away so that she could get out from under it. She lay breathing heavily for a moment. Thankfully, her combat armor had taken the brunt of the attack. She felt under the armor. No broken skin, maybe only a bruised rib or two.  _ ‘Good, _ ’ she thought to herself. Before she could completely gather her thoughts, a panicked breathless MacCready was kneeling over her.

“No, no, no,” he cried.

“It’s ok. I’m fine,” Nora tried to reassure him.

“Stimpak!” he howled, feeling her torso trying to find the source of the blood. “I tried to- I’m sorry, I wasn’t fast enough.”

“I’m ok. It’s not my blood.” Nora sat up and took MacCready's hands to run them over the small divot in the combat armor where the machete had hit. “You did enough. I’m fine.”

MacCready sighed, unable to stop the tears of relief leaking from his eyes. He embraced her, but she broke it off short.

“And you are the worst patient ever, I told you not to move!” she joked, but quickly noticed how pale MacCready's face looked. He laughed lazily at her as she pushed him to the ground to once again put pressure on the wound in his side. 

“Medic!” Nora cried out for one of the clinic helpers to bring a med kit.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” MacCready slurred, sounding far away. “I just...thought I lost you…”

“I’m ok, but you won’t be if I can’t get this bleeding to stop. Don’t move.”

She held the soaked bandage to his side. MacCready grunted with discomfort. That’s when she noticed fresh blood was seeping through his left pant leg. ‘ _ Shit _ .’

“Hold this here.” Nora placed MacCready's hand on his side wound while she took her knife and cut the seam on his left pant leg. With both hands she ripped along the seam until she saw the wound in his thigh.

“Someone’s feeling frisky.” MacCready joked quietly.

Nora ignored him. A piece of shrapnel had lodged itself in his thigh. It looked like it probably missed his femoral artery, but she couldn’t be sure until she could get her tools and remove the jagged metal shard. She quickly removed her combat armor and then her shirt.

“Now you’re talking.” MacCready muttered distantly. He was trying to be funny, but Nora could tell he was losing a lot of blood and starting to drift. She replaced her armor back over her mostly naked torso. Nora folded her shirt around his thigh and pressed down to soak up the blood.

“Fuck!” MacCready screamed in pain and breathed heavily through his teeth.

“I’m sorry, I have to stop this bleeding. I’m running out of clothes to rip off,” she tried to joke with him.

“Heh...promise?” MacCready flirted back. 

Nora undid his belt buckle and yanked the leather free from its loops.

“You know I’m getting some mixed messages, here.” His voice was barely audible, his eyes glassy and unfocused. 

“Medic!” Nora screamed again, she could feel a small amount of panic rising in her chest. She looped the belt around his thigh and tightened it above the laceration, hopefully stanching the blood flow to the wound. After what felt like an eternity, Russel and Delilah, two settlers who helped at the clinic, ran over with a stretcher and a medkit. They helped to carefully roll MacCready onto the stretcher while Nora continued to put pressure on the wounds. 

“How many stimpaks do we have?” Nora asked.

“Enough for now, but we’ll need to send a team to make a run to find more supplies after we recover from that attack.” Russel replied handing her one.

Nora quickly injected MacCready’s torso with the stimpak. He grunted lightly but didn’t move, his eyes remaining unfocused. 

“Another.” Nora ordered them. 

Russel hesitated, but handed her a second stimpak. Nora injected MacCready’s left leg with the second stimpak. MacCready grumbled again with discomfort, and after a moment said, “I’m fine, I’ll walk.” But he didn’t move to get up. Russel and Delilah carried the stretcher to the clinic, while Nora kept pressure on MacCready's wounds.

***

The clinic was not as full as Nora had feared after the raider attack. ‘ _ It looks like those new turrets were worth it _ .” she thought. She looked around the one-room clinic. Most patients on the cots here had superficial injuries: some bullet grazes, one minor head contusion. No major emergencies. They were all being well cared-for.

Her main concern was MacCready. After hours of working on him, she had been able to clean his wounds and stitch him up. Luckily, she had also been able to remove the shrapnel from his thigh without complications. It wasn’t as large or embedded nearly as deeply as she feared. He was very lucky it had failed to hit his femoral artery. MacCready seemed to be resting comfortably. Or at least comfortably enough. The evening had grown late, and Nora all at once realized how exhausted she was. She and MacCready hadn’t exactly done a lot of  _ sleeping _ the night before, and the events of the day had started to catch up with her. She sat next to MacCready's cot and rested her head on his bare chest. His heartbeat sounded strong, but his body felt very warm to the touch. That worried Nora; she hoped he didn’t have an infection. Stitching wounds she could handle even in the most dire situations, but antibiotics were all but impossible to find in this world. Their recent exploits at the Med-tek facility were a reminder of that.

MacCready stirred lightly. He reached up and placed a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair. She tilted her head to look into his eyes.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Mmm...a-ok,” he replied groggily with a slightly crooked smile.

Nora sat up and reached over to wring out a rag from a bucket of cool water next to the bed. She carefully folded it and placed it on MacCready's forehead. He moaned slightly in appreciation.

“I think you have a low-grade fever, and that worries me a little.”

“Ooo, I love it when you talk doctor to me,” MacCready winked lazily at her.

“Well, I think you've had enough excitement for one day.” She said, kissing his cheek.

MacCready leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back for a moment, but soon pulled away.

“I’m serious. I need to get your fever down. If I didn’t get all the shrapnel, or if you have other internal injuries, or an infection-”

MacCready reached up and gently put a finger on her lips to shush her. “You worry too much. I’m fine,” He insisted. Nora furrowed her brow at him with concern. “Honest. I feel a little like when the whiskey starts to hit, but I always feel like that around you.” He smiled sweetly at her. But he could see the worry in her eyes. He took her face in his hands gently, and pulled her close to him until he was brushing her nose with his. “I plan on walking this earth with you until the day I die.” With that he kissed her lovingly. 

Nora returned his kiss. When she pulled away she whispered firmly, “And I’m going to make sure that day isn’t today. Now rest.” She laid her head on his chest again. He caressed her hair until he fell asleep.


	13. Bed Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos!
> 
> The plot has taken a detour for some good ol' fluff and a pinch of smut.
> 
> I'll get back to plot-related stuff next chapter.

Nora awoke and sat up slowly in the early morning light. She yawned and stretched. Brahmin lowed somewhere outside. MacCready slept fitfully in her bed next to her, dripping with sweat. She gently stood up so as not to wake him and made her way to the kitchen. She grabbed an empty bucket and quietly walked outside to the water pump behind her house. She could feel the heat of the day building already even through her thin pajamas. She nodded to one of the Minutemen as he walked past her on his patrol. She pumped the creaking metal handle until the bucket was half-full of cool water. She carried the bucket back inside.

She gently pushed open the bedroom door and walked to the right side of the bed, careful not to slosh water everywhere. She placed the bucket next to where MacCready mumbled and twitched in his sleep. He was drenched in sweat and his body still felt warm, but it looked as though his fever might be breaking. She sat on the edge of the bed next to him and reached for a clean cloth on the bedside table. His murmurs became more desperate and his twitches more violent. She dunked the clean cloth into the fresh water and wrung it out, gingerly placing it on his forehead. He jerked his head and his face contorted painfully, but he remained asleep. She took a second cloth and rinsed it in the water, wringing it out and thoroughly wiping the sweat from his arms and chest. She blew gently on his wet face and body to hopefully cool him faster.

Abruptly, he shouted in alarm and sat up violently, panting. Nora almost fell off the bed, startled. She laughed, embarrassed, but then quickly realized that MacCready's face was twisted in genuine terror. He reached out and flailed his arms in the dimly lit room. Nora reached for his hands. 

“MacCready, you’re ok.” She tried to push his chest to get him to lie down, but he was much stronger than her, he fought and continued to yell incoherently.

“MacCready!” She tried again to calm him. “Robert.” She held his face in her hands firmly. This seemed to help him come to his senses, his eyes focused on her as if just noticing she was there.

“N-Nora?” he whimpered. He collapsed into her arms breathing heavily, crying. “They got you. They killed you right in front of me. All the blood.” He coughed and sobbed in her arms, shaking.

“Shh...I’m right here. Everything’s ok.” She held him, gently rubbing his back. MacCready breathed heavily as he buried his face in her chest. They sat holding each other tightly. He never wanted to let her go.

“It’s ok. Just breathe, I’m right here.” Nora whispered. Eventually his breathing steadied. She gently raised his face to meet hers. His eyes were red and his face glistened with tears and sweat. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Wait, no, I’m gonna be sick.” 

He pushed past her and hopped quickly to the bathroom. Nora dropped the two cloths back into the water bucket next to her and wiped her moist hands on her pajama pants. She could hear MacCready heaving and coughing in the next room. After a few moments his coughing stopped but he didn’t return to the bedroom. Nora walked over and poked her head into the bathroom. 

“How ya doin’ tough guy?” she joked gently.

“Never better,” MacCready croaked sarcastically as he lay curled around a bucket in the fetal position.

“Are you sure?” she asked more gently, kneeling to place a hand on his back.

“Yeah, I just need a minute,” he replied.

Nora bent down and kissed his shoulder before standing up and making her way to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. After a few moments, MacCready limped out of the bathroom, bracing himself on the hallway wall. Nora hurried over to help him limp to the sofa in her living area.

“Sit here so I can check on your vitals.”

MacCready sat silently while Nora grabbed her medkit. He flinched slightly when she touched the cold metal of the stethoscope to his chest. His heartbeat sounded strong and steady, if slightly fast. She examined the infrared scanner on her pipboy to check his temperature, it was elevated, but his fever was lower than last night. MacCready was unusually quiet.

“You’re looking better today,” she said. He stared into space, not responding. “Are you sure you’re feeling ok?” Nora gently brushed sweat-matted hair out of MacCready's face.

“Yeah,” he whispered.

Nora walked into the kitchen and retrieved her bottle of water. She handed it to MacCready. “Drink this slowly.”

MacCready obeyed and sipped the water bottle absently. Nora hurried back down the hall to fetch one of the cool wet cloths from her room. When she returned, she sat next to him dabbing the back of MacCready's neck and back with the cloth. He shivered at the sudden cold.

After a moment he smiled at her, “I’m ok. Thanks.” 

Nora studied his face for a moment. He still looked a little pale, but the color had started to return to his cheeks.

“Seriously, I’m alright. Just...tired,” he offered trying to calm the worried look in her eyes. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“OK, well you’re staying here so I can keep an eye on you.” Nora said relaxing slightly.

“Ah, well, doctor’s orders,” MacCready snarked in fake protest.

“Come here, you should rest as much as possible,” Nora helped him stand. “I’ll try to find some crutches for you soon.” She helped him limp back to her bedroom and sat him down gently on the mattress.

“You know, I like it better when I’m dragged here by my belt buckle.” He smiled up at her, his hands on her hips.

“I’m sure,” Nora laughed lightly at him. “But, for now, I want you to rest. And I do mean  _ rest _ .”

MacCready wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her bellybutton through her thin shirt gingerly with his nose and lips. “When do we get to finish what we started the other morning?”

Nora sighed deeply. She was torn, she wanted him so badly, but he was injured. Her body cried out for his touch, but she couldn’t risk it. He lifted the edge of her shirt slightly to kiss her belly, but she pulled away. A hurt look crossed his face.

“I want you.” She ran a hand sweetly through his hair. “But I want you healthy.” 

“I’m fine.”

Nora pushed him gently, but firmly, forcing him to lay down. He didn’t fight her. “I can’t seduce you if it’s going to lead to me injuring you,” she chuckled as she leaned over and kissed his temple. “Now, rest.” She started to walk away.

“Wait.” He reached for her hand and she stopped.

“Lay here with me awhile?” he asked.

“Of course,” Nora moved to lay next to him. “But sleeping better be the only thing you’re doing in this bed for a while.”

“We’ll see,” he joked. She laughed at him but spooned next to him until his breathing was slow and steadied.

***

Nora opened her eyes to the sound of early-morning Brahmin bellows outside. Again. ‘ _ Every goddamn morning _ ,’ she thought, annoyed. She rolled over and gently nestled her face in the side of MacCready's neck, cuddling up to him while he slept. She slipped her arm across his chest and traced up and down his sternum with her fingertips. His skin felt dry and his temperature normal. His fever had finally broken. Nora also noticed that the heat-wave of the last three days felt like it had subsided. After a few minutes, MacCready stirred, groaning lightly. He held her hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

“Morning,” he yawned.

“How are you feeling today,” she asked, kissing his neck gently. 

“If I say I’ve never felt better, can I be cleared to resume strenuous activities? You know, like the naked kind?” MacCready sensuously kissed her wrist.

“We’ll see,” she laughed, sitting up. “Let me check you first.” She climbed out of bed. The heat of the past few days had made it unbearable to wear anything to sleep in other than underwear and an undershirt. MacCready started to sit up, but she stopped him.

“No, lie still until I check you.”

“Sorry, just trying to admire the view,” he winked at her, folding his arms behind his head watching her.

She fumbled with her medkit for a moment before scooting across the bed and kneeling beside him. He watched her patiently. She listened to his chest - _ his bare chest _ \- she had to force herself to concentrate. His heart beat rapidly at her touch. She was relieved that he seemed to be healing quickly. But denying his continued flirting for the past couple days was starting to wear on her. She wanted his body pressed against her as much as he did and denying him was driving her crazy. 

She moved the stethoscope to the side of his chest. “Breathe deeply for me.” He did. His lungs sounded strong, no rattles, no sounds of fluid build-up.  _ ‘Excellent _ .’

MacCready lightly caressed her arm while she listened. “I like when you play doctor with me. When’s it my turn?” He said saucily.

Nora snorted and playfully slapped at his hand. “Let me check your bandages, naughty.”

She set the stethoscope down. He carefully rolled his pant leg up for her. She slowly pulled back the dressings covering his wounds on his side and his thigh. It had been three days since she had stitched up his injuries. The skin surrounding both wounds was bruised, as expected, but the sutures looked secure and there was no longer any blood on the bandages.

“Good.” Nora redressed his wounds carefully.

“So what’s the damage, doc?” he asked as he continued to caress her arm.

“You’re healing nicely, but you still need to take it easy for at least a week until the stitches can come out. Plus your skin looks a little dehydrated, you should drink more water.”

MacCready grabbed the half-empty water bottle on the nightstand next to him, chugging it dramatically. Finishing, he tossed the bottle aside.

“All better! Now what?” He grinned that irresistible mischievous grin at her.

She rolled her eyes, but laughed at him. Nora stood up and picked up the empty water bottle.

“I’m going to get you more water, then we’ll talk.” She said over her shoulder as she headed for the kitchen.

“Naked talking?” MacCready called out after her.

Nora couldn’t stifle a snort as she fetched another bottle of water from the kitchen. She noticed that she felt almost giddy. Waking up next to him these past few days just felt right. It had been so long since she could remember feeling happy. She had to pause in the hallway for a moment to blink back tears. When she returned with the water, MacCready had taken her stethoscope and placed it in his ears.

“What are you doing?” she laughed.

“Shh, come here,” he said conspiratorially. Nora sat on the bed next to him, setting the water bottle on the side table. MacCready moved the head of the stethoscope to listen to her chest. 

“Well, I was afraid of that,” he said, removing the stethoscope and setting it on the nightstand, his face showed a look of mock concern. “I’m afraid you’re incurably kissable.”

Nora laughed, “Incurably kissable? Oh my it sounds serious.”

“Oh yes, very serious,” MacCready furrowed his brow. “There’s only one treatment for it in the wasteland.” He took her hands and pulled her on top of him.“We need to start treating you immediately.” 

“Hmm, and what do you prescribe,  _ Doctor _ MacCready?” Nora carefully straddled him and leaned into him, slowly kissing him.

“Well, that’s an excellent start, but we really need this shirt out of the way.” MacCready said, slowly sliding his hands under Nora’s undershirt, lifting it over her head. She let him. He tossed it aside and moved his hands to caress her smooth breasts. Nora sighed with arousal, she wanted him so badly. She squeezed his hands firmly to her breasts as he massaged them. She moaned encouragingly and leaned down to suck on his ear. She started moving her hips, pressing into him and she could feel him growing hard beneath her. He groaned.

“Is this ok? I don’t want to hurt you.” she asked.

“It’s fine, you could never hurt me,” he whispered back.

She kissed down his neck, down his chest, down his stomach. He moaned. Slowly, she started removing his pants. He flinched and sucked in air suddenly as she scraped his bandaged thigh.

“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly.

“It’s ok,” he grunted through gritted teeth. “Worth it.”

More carefully, this time, she pulled his pants away and removed her own underwear. She straddled him again, making certain not to touch his bandaged leg. She slowly lowered herself onto him. They both moaned as she rocked her hips against him, having missed one another's intimate touch over the last few days. He moved steadily in her until, at last, they both lay in the bed sweaty and satisfied.


	14. The Devil's Dance Floor

A commotion from the entrance to Sanctuary Hills caught Nora’s attention from where she stood in her side yard hanging damp laundry on a clothesline with Codsworth. She glanced over at MacCready; he dozed in an old lawn chair in the early afternoon sun, his injured leg propped up on a crate, and his newly acquired crutches lay on the ground next to him. The warning sirens weren’t sounding, so Nora was confident the settlement wasn’t under attack, but curiosity got the better of her.

“Codsworth, can you please finish hanging these clothes? I’m going to check on everything.”

“Of course, Misses.” Codsworth replied enthusiastically.

Nora snuck over to MacCready and bent down to kiss his cheek. “Be right back.”

MacCready mumbled unintelligibly in his sleep and Nora smiled to herself.

“Also, if MacCready wakes up, can you remind him he needs to stay off his leg?” Nora asked Codsworth over her shoulder as she walked towards the entrance to the settlement.

“Yes, mum.” Codsworth sighed and then muttered something under his breath.

Nora walked purposefully down the street towards the bridge, craning her neck to see what had interested a growing group of settlers gathering at the barricades. “What’s going on?” she asked Preston as she approached the group.

“One of our lookouts spotted a Brotherhood of Steel vertibird either landing or making some sort of drop just south of Red Rocket.” Preston answered her carefully. “I’m glad you're here. I know you are at least on good terms with the Brotherhood. Would you mind leading a small recon team to investigate?”

“Well, it _ is _ a little strange that they would be all the way up here. I don’t mind going on a short recon mission. Besides, maybe they can give me an update on the Institute. Let me just gear up and check on MacCready before I head out.”

“Good, thank you, General. I presume _ he _ will be joining you, so may I suggest only taking one additional person.” Preston saluted her and turned to walk away.

“He’ll be staying here, he still can’t put weight on his leg.” Nora added.

Preston turned to her again, “Of course. How is...your patient, then?” he asked with a slight chill in his voice.

“He’s stable but until the stitches come out, he definitely can’t go back out there,” Nora replied pretending not to notice Preston’s icy demeanor.

“Well, that is a shame.” Preston huffed out the words before he could stop himself.

“Which part?” Nora pressed him. “The part about him getting better, or the part about him being stuck here?”

“Well, I -er- the part…” Preston stammered.

Nora couldn’t hold in a snort. She reached out and patted Preton’s shoulder, “Relax. I’m just messing with you, Preston.” His posture eased a bit.

“Look, I know you two don’t get along, and that’s ok, just try not to kill each other while I’m gone? I’ll be ready in twenty.” Nora chuckled walking back to her house.

“Ma’am.” Preston saluted her once again. 

On her walk back to her house, Nora thought about how she was going to break the news to MacCready that she would be going on a short mission without him. There had rarely been a lead she followed where he didn’t have her back these past several months. And especially now that their relationship had developed into more than a friendship, she was certain he wasn’t going to take this news well, especially since it involved the Brotherhood of Steel. 

_ *** _

_ “Oh, very compelling argument! Look, just because you’re an arrogant prick who has a giant chip on his shoulder about everything, it doesn’t mean that you get to decide my life for me! You’re not a parent, you don’t understand that I would do anything for my child!” _

_ *** _

She replayed that argument in her head. The three days she went without MacCready speaking to her had been excruciating. She still felt small flushes of shame for speaking to him that way even though they had since moved past it. She hoped to avoid an argument like it today.

As she approached her house she could see that Codsworth had finished hanging the laundry to dry, but she also noticed MacCready was not in the chair where she left him. Hopefully, both of them were inside ignoring one another. ‘_ If I’m lucky _ ,’ she thought. It wasn’t that they didn’t get along, but between Codsworth probably still feeling a sense of loyalty to Nate, and MacCready's ability to get under anyone’s skin, Nora knew that leaving the two of them alone together for too long could lead to them butting heads, possibly _ literally _. Upon opening the front door, Nora could hear that her suspicions were warranted.

“Mister MacCready, Mistress Nora insisted that you should be resting your leg,” an exasperated Codsworth whirred from down the hall.

“Move it, Cosdworth, I gotta take a leak!” MacCready's voice yelled.

“No, sir, I will not budge, Mistress’ orders!”

Nora poked her head around the corner to witness a very awkward battle between man and machine. MacCready was attempting to hold Codsworth at bay with one of his crutches while stabilizing himself with the other, all while Codsworth’s pincer arms attempted to pull MacCready out of the bathroom.

“Having fun, boys?” Nora crossed her arms trying to look as stern as possible but her smirk threatened to give her away. Both MacCready and Codsworth turned to stare at her momentarily in mid-tussle. Then both quickly regained their composure. “It’s ok, Codsworth, he _ is _ allowed to use the bathroom.” Nora tried to hold in a laugh.

“I’m sorry, Misses.” Codsworth hovered towards her, his mechanical eye sockets titled down in shame.

“It’s ok, I should have been more specific.” Nora patted his dome kindly. “Would you make us some tea please?”

“Of course, Madame.” Codsworth puttered off to busy himself in the kitchen.

“I could’ve taken him, you know.” MacCready joked from down the hall.

Nora approached him, still trying not to laugh. “Oh, my hero,” she snarked, putting her arms around him.

“Ooo, hero, eh? I like the sound of that.” He propped one of his crutches against the wall to free up an arm to hold her with. He breathed her in as he caressed her neck with his lips. Nora released a short sigh of enjoyment, but forced herself to focus.

“I have something to talk to you about,” she said.

“Mmm, is it the dirty kind of talking,” MacCready continued to kiss her neck playfully.

It pained Nora to push his chest away. “No, I’m serious. Come sit.”

Nora turned and walked into the main living area and sat on her couch. MacCready fumbled with his crutches a moment before hobbling after her. After carefully lowering himself onto the couch and propping his left leg up on the decrepit coffee table, he turned his focus on her.

“What’s on your mind?”

Nora turned to face him, then looked away as if searching for the words anywhere but in his eyes. She knew he wasn’t going to like staying behind.

“Hey. Seriously, what’s up?” MacCready betrayed a hint of concern as he gently placed his hand on her knee.

“You’re not going to like this.” Nora stammered.

“I like it even less that you’re not telling me.”

“Right. So, Preston asked me to take a small recon team to investigate some Brotherhood of Steel activity south of Red Rocket.”

“Oh, shady.” MacCready said thoughtfully. When Nora didn’t immediately continue, he said, “Is that it? That’s the big deal? Fine. When do we head out?”

“Ok, so here’s the part you’re not going to like,” Nora braced herself for an argument. “You’re staying here.” 

“What?! Look tell goody-two shoes Garvey that he doesn’t get to order me around, I’m not one of his-”

“It’s not his decision; it’s mine.” Nora let the sentence hang in the air. MacCready looked like the wind was knocked out of him. He sat processing the news, unconsciously clenching and unclenching his jaw.

“I don’t want to put you or your recovery at risk,” she appealed. 

“Alright.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“MacCready, you can barely walk.” 

He stewed for a few moments before sighing. “Yeah, I understand.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. But I’ll have you know that I am getting pretty nimble on these bad boys.” He patted the crutches at his side with a smirk. 

“So I saw. I’ll be sure to call for you if we have any rogue Mister Handys that need a good beating.” Nora sniped mildly.

“You better believe it, lady.” MacCready grinned at her and she felt herself melting inside. “You gonna miss me?” 

Nora leaned in to kiss him.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he whispered between kisses. She continued kissing him until Codsworth interrupted.

“Ahem. Here is your tea, madame.” He deposited two cups of watery-looking tea on the coffee table.

Nora pulled away from MacCready. “Thank you, Codsworth.” Codsworth gave a little bow, but continued to hover there awkwardly. “Um...could you go check on the laundry line outside, please?” 

“Yes Misses.” Codsworth drifted out of the living area. After a moment they heard the side door open and close.

“Does he not come with a ‘read the room’ function?” MacCready snarked.

Nora snickered, but didn’t say anything.

“So, who’s going with you?” MacCready asked after a moment.

“I don’t know yet, I’m going to gear up and meet with Preston to figure that out.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I know.” Nora reached out to cradle his cheek. He leaned into her hand. “I have to get ready.” She stood up.

“Yeah.” MacCready reached for a glass of tea and took a sip, making a face. “This is terrible, by the way.”

“I know it is, that shit probably went bad two hundred years ago. I just wanted to talk to you without him _ hovering _like he does.”

MacCready let out a small bark of laughter. “Smart. And can you remind him that he is _ not _ my nurse while you’re gone?”

“Aw, but what if you get lonely? I’m sure Codsworth gives a mean sponge bath.” Nora teased. 

“Woman! Don’t even joke about that!”

She squealed as MacCready tried to swat at her legs, but she jumped out of his reach.

“Would. You. Like. To. Cuddle. Mis. Ter. Ma. Cready.” Nora said mechanically as she mimicked pincers with her hands, and snapped them in his direction. She cackled as he playfully lunged for her again.

“Ow. Ow. God. Ow.” MacCready leaned back clutching his leg.

“Oh, dammit, I’m sorr-” Nora approached the couch to comfort MacCready but then he pounced. He grabbed onto her pulling her on top of him, tickling her sides. She screamed in surprise and delight. “You sneaky bastard!”

They gleefully wrestled on the couch for a few moments before MacCready pinned her arms to her sides. Nora struggled to free herself, still giggling. MacCready leaned in and kissed her tenderly. Nora breathed deeply, returning his kiss. MacCready released Nora’s arms and pawed at the bottom hem of her shirt. Nora carded her fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp. He moaned with enjoyment. When they paused to come up for air, MacCready was finally able to get his hands under her shirt. He caressed her stomach with his fingertips.

“Mmm, you are making it very difficult to leave right now.” Nora whined in frustration.

“Then I guess you don’t have to go.”

“I told Preston twenty minutes…”

“Hmmm, well I know something we can do in twenty minutes. Twice, actually.” MacCready teased his fingertips up and down the length of Nora’s sternum.

Nora moaned. “But that was probably fifteen minutes ago.”

“OK, so just once then.”

Nora snorted a small laugh at him and rested her forehead against his intimately. She dared herself to consider that she might be falling in love with him. She took a breath to speak when an abrupt knock at the front door made them both flinch.

“She said, _ twenty _ minutes, Garvey!” MacCready shouted at the door.

“I’m sorry, I have to grab my stuff.” Nora kissed him, stood up, and hurried down the hall to her bedroom to fetch her pack and her weapons. Her professions of love would have to wait. 

MacCready wrestled with his crutches and attempted to stand. He took a couple deep breaths and adjusted his pants. The pounding on the door came again. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming!” MacCready tottered unevenly to the front door and opened it. “Jesus, Garvey, she’s- the hell do _ you _ want?!” 

Nora heard MacCready answer the front door and hoped he wasn’t being a complete asshole to Preston. After grabbing the essentials, she hurried down the hall, fanning herself, hoping to cool the flush of arousal on her face as she rounded the hallway corner.

“I’m sorry, Preston, that took longer than- oh, hello.” Nora was taken aback to find Paladin Danse filling the door frame. She shared a look with MacCready who held the door open, jaw clenched.

“Hail, sister. May I have a word with you?” Danse saluted.

“Sister.” MacCready huffed under his breath.

“Of course, Paladin. What can I do for you?” Nora jabbed a warning elbow into MacCready's ribs, he grunted irritably.

“With respect, this is a sensitive Brotherhood matter, it doesn’t concern civilians.” Danse said, indicating MacCready. “May we speak privately?” 

Nora didn’t need to look at MacCready to know he was fuming. She turned towards MacCready, but before she could say a word, he spun on his heel and limped down the hallway. There was an awkward silence before she heard the bathroom door slam. Danse stood stoically outside watching her.

“Would you like to come in? Can I get you some water or something?” Nora asked.

“No that won’t be necessary, I will be brief.” Danse answered stiffly. “Elder Maxsen has tasked me with leading a recon mission and has allowed me to pick my team. This will be a dangerous mission, but I would ask you to join us. You are an excellent medic, a fine soldier, and thanks to your intel, you are the biggest lead we have on The Institute.”

“What’s the mission?”

“Our scribes have analyzed the data you shared with us. We believe we may be able to pinpoint The Institute’s signal to teleport inside, however, we need more information. Hunting down this scientist, Virgil is key. But to do so, we will need to venture into The Glowing Sea. You will be issued a set of power armor to combat radiation.”

“Wow. Really?!” Nora’s thoughts raced. This could be her chance to finally get answers about Shaun. She had heard of the Glowing Sea, she knew it was highly irradiated, which is obviously what stopped her from venturing out there before now. But having Brotherhood guns backing her up _ and _ a suit of power armor was perfect. “I’m in. When?” 

“We leave before sun-up tomorrow. Now, would you care to accompany me and the rest of the team back to The Prydwen to prepare?” Danse turned to leave.

But, she knew MacCready would be upset about not being able to go, on top of how dangerous this was going to be. She wanted to consider his feelings too. “Well, as you might have seen I have a patient, of sorts, here. I would like to attend to his care this evening first before I just up and leave him.” Nora stalled. 

“Why yes, of course. Very well. We can send the vertibird for you at sun-up tomorrow, then.” Paladin Danse saluted her and turned to leave, but stopped. “Oh, and Senior Officer Garvey asked me to tell you that he has cancelled your previous recon assignment.”

“What? Oh, right. No need for recon when recon comes to you.” Nora said absently.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing. See you in the morning, Paladin Danse.”

“Until tomorrow, soldier.” Danse saluted her again and marched down Nora’s driveway where two other power-armor-clad members of the Brotherhood stood to meet him. Nora watched as all three members of the Brotherhood of Steel lumbered down the street. Preston saluted her from halfway down the block. Nora gave a half-hearted salute back and watched him turn and wander after the Brotherhood members, probably to make sure they left without incident. She stood there watching the street, lost in thought. She closed the front door and rested her forehead against it for several minutes. She could hear the creak of his crutches in the hallway as MacCready moved towards the living area. When the creaking stopped, she could feel him staring at her. She turned to face him. He didn’t return her forced smile. They stood staring at each other in deafening silence.

“Please say something.” Nora pleaded.

“Something.”

“Oh, don’t be a child, MacCre-” But she stopped herself, she really didn’t want to argue. “I assume, you heard all of that?” 

“No, what did Clankenstein want?” he asked sarcastically. Nora could hear the bitterness in his voice.

“How long did it take you to come up with that one?” she jested gently.

“Longer than I’m proud of.” His voice still held an edge, but at least he was talking to her.

She offered a half smile and cautiously approached, reaching for him. “Well, it’s not your best work.”

“Yeah, well, they can’t all be winners, I guess.”

Nora slid her hands around his waist, half-expecting him to pull away from her. When he didn’t, she rested her chin on his shoulder. “I’m leaving at sunrise tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“I have to go. If it gets me any closer to Shaun, I have to go.” Her voice cracked.

“I know.” His voice lost any edge that had been there. He held the back of her neck tenderly with one of his hands.

“I have to find my baby.” Nora could barely choke out the words over the lump in her throat.

“You will,” he whispered.

Nora couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. She wept into his shoulder while he held her tightly. When her sobs subsided and gave way to small sniffles, he gently lifted her chin with his finger to look at her.

“Are you alright?”

“No. But I think I will be.” She tried to smile. MacCready firmly kissed her forehead. 

“I love you,” she blurted out.

MacCready stared into her reddened eyes. “You do?” He asked in disbelief.

“Yes. Of course I do. God, I’m such an idiot for not having said it earlier, I should ha-” MacCready interrupted her with a loving kiss. She moaned into his mouth and returned his affection. “I should have said it before now. I just...I was scared...I-”

“Shhh...none of that matters. It only matters that you love me.” MacCready rested his forehead against hers.

“I do.” She kissed him again.

Locked in their embrace Nora clumsily pulled him towards the couch. Tripping over MacCready’s crutches, they both collapsed giggling onto it and they heard one of the springs snap under the cushions. This just made them laugh harder.

“Did we just break your couch?” MacCready asked through gasping laughter.

“I think we did.” Nora chuckled. “Well, it _ is _ a couple hundred years old. It had a good run.”

Nora pulled MacCready into another kiss, reaching under his shirt to feel his skin. He moaned into her mouth and she could feel him stiffening through his pants. She didn’t just want him, she needed him. Now. She was about to lift his shirt over his head when Codsworth burst through the kitchen door carrying a laundry basket half-full of folded laundry.

“Good news, Mistress! Thirty-six percent of the laundry is dry at this juncture!”

Nora broke off the kiss, turning her head to look at Codsworth. MacCready sighed in frustration resting his forehead on her chest.

“Thank you, Codsworth.” Strained to keep the frustration out of her voice. “Please continue to monitor that for me?”

“Indubitably, Mum.” And with that Codsworth puttered back outside, closing the door behind him.

“Who’d have thought after the end of the world, privacy would be so hard to get?” Nora laughed, exasperated. 

“Maybe we should try to break the bed instead.” MacCready suggested breathily.

She laughed. “Well, let’s not _ try _ to break it. But yes, maybe the bedroom is better.”

Nora helped MacCready stand and they stumbled to the bedroom, less clumsily this time. Slightly. She shut the door violently and shoved her footlocker in front of the closed door. She wanted to make sure Codsworth wasn’t just going to come floating on in. Lips locked, MacCready and Nora felt their way to the bed. She lay on her back, awkwardly pulling him on top of her. She caressed him while he carefully found a comfortable position without putting too much pressure on his bad leg before resuming their greedy kisses. 

“Being with you is the happiest I’ve ever been.” He said breathlessly between kisses.

“Thank you for showing me that I _ could _ be happy again.” Nora choked back emotion.

MacCready ceased his kisses and studied her eyes. He gingerly wiped away a tear that had escaped down her cheek. He pressed his forehead to hers. She held his head in her hands, gently massaging his scalp. This elicited a pleasure-filled moan from his lips.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make you as happy as you make me,” he promised.

“You can start by kissing me some more,” she urged.

Their lips met lovingly. They gently caressed one another. His breath caught in his throat as she took his bottom lip in between her teeth and firmly sucked on it. It felt so good, he thought it might undo him right then and there. When she relented, she smoothly ran her tongue along the front of his teeth before slowly probing deeper into his mouth to find his tongue. She breathed heavily, desperately clawing at the back of his neck and head. He moaned deeply. 

He pulled his lips away from hers to kiss her throat, nibbling and sucking on the tender skin. She giggled sensually. He kissed her collarbone and moved to the top of her sternum. She whimpered when he stopped kissing her long enough to undo the top button of her shirt. His lips traveled down her chest over her bra, until he was stopped by the next shirt button. He undid the second button. When he reached the bottom hem of her bra he ever-so-slowly ran his tongue along the sensitive skin beneath her breasts. Nora gasped and bit her lower lip. He was torturing her magnificently. He continued kissing down her sternum, slowly progressing all the way down to the next shirt button. And the next. And the next, until all of her buttons were unclasped. She whimpered again when he paused to sit up slightly to admire her exposed skin. Her eyes met his. 

“You know I love you,” he said warmly. 

She smiled fondly at him, “And now you know I love you.”

“And I’m about to give it to you so good,” he said, his voice low and throaty. He lowered his head and grazed her belly with his lips. 

“Yes please.” She moaned rolling her hips towards him, searching for his touch.

He caressed her stomach with his lips while running his hands up her sides as if trying to map her body. His hands found their way up her torso, under her bra to massage her breasts. She moaned with enjoyment, but then with annoyance as she tried to wriggle her way out of her shirt and bra. He chuckled at her and stopped to help remove the offending articles.

Once they wrestled her free of her shirt and bra, she grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him in to kiss her. Her hips lunged as she pressed her groin against his, aching for friction. His lips found their way down her front once more. He teased one of her nipples with his tongue until it stood erect, and then snaked his tongue across her breast bone to its twin. Nora lightly pulled at his hair on the back of his head as he lavished her nipples with attention. He inched his tongue down her breast to tickle the crease beneath. A lustful laugh escaped her mouth. He smiled as he dragged his lips down her abdomen, tickling her skin with his goatee, her giggles evolving into breathy whimpers of arousal. The closer he moved towards her pants, the more she moaned and rolled her hips. 

MacCready deliberately took his time touching every inch of her exposed skin. He wanted to savor her. The thought of losing her terrified him. The fearful thoughts of her walking into the Glowing Sea intruded into his brain, distracting him long enough that he stopped his gentle caresses of her momentarily.

“Please,” she begged him, as she swayed her hips, unaware of his internal struggle.

Her sensual pleas brought him back to the present. He shook his head, pushing the dark worries from his mind and revived his kisses against the skin of her belly. If she was going out and risking her life tomorrow, he’d be damned if he was going to leave her wanting tonight. Her hips rocked more forcefully against him as he hurried to undo the buttons of her pants.

“Yes,” she mewled.

He smoothly stripped her pants and underwear down her legs and shoved them off the bed. Nora moaned desperately for his touch. After a moment of clumsy fidgeting so that the pressure was not on his injured leg, MacCready slid his face between her thighs, positioning himself so that her knees fell over his shoulders. He delicately kissed her inner thigh. Nora groaned in frustration. 

“No more teasing, please,” she whined, massaging her own breasts.

He placed a hand on her stomach and with his fingers lightly traced a line from her belly button down to the top of her pubic bone.

Nora moaned desperately. “Please.” Her pelvis pulsed with need.

At last, MacCready brought his tongue into her -but only just- licking up and down her opening, torturously slowly.

“God, MacCready, please.” She reached over her head, pressing her hands into the wood of her bed frame, trying to physically push her body into him, forcing his tongue to finally penetrate her. She moaned long and loud at feeling him inside her. He laughed slightly at her eagerness, but continued to work his tongue in and out of her. Slowly. Firmly. He moved his tongue up to the top of where her folds opened to him, making slow deliberate circles on her clitoral hood, the beautiful pink button beneath swelling and pulsing, begging for attention.

Nora’s panting grew quicker. She cried out when MacCready a finger inside her. She clawed at the bunched bed sheets as he pleased her. Her back arched and her hips bucked into him when at last she climaxed. MacCready felt her muscles contracting around his finger as he tasted her salty sweet orgasm. 

“God yes more!” Nora cried out as he slid a second finger inside of her, pressing firmly against her upper walls. He gently sucked on her clit and teased it with the tip of his tongue. Her next orgasm happened almost immediately. Nora shuddered with pleasure when MacCready slowly pulled his fingers and tongue away from her. He lightly kissed her stomach, caressing her thighs and watching her come down from her high. Her raspy panting slowed and her glassy eyes met his and focused.

“Please don’t stop,” she whispered.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He winked at her, sitting up. His muscles shook as he kneeled heavily on his right leg. Trying to take off his shirt he quickly lost his balance, nearly falling on top of Nora. 

“Dammit!” He muttered.

Nora stifled a small laugh. “Let me help.” She sat up and tugged his shirt over his head then ran her hands over his chest appraisingly. She dragged her hands down his front to his belt, undoing it.

“Is your leg ok?” She asked.

“It’s fine.”

“Be honest,” she warned him.

“Honestly? It’s killing me,” he sighed in frustration. “I don’t know how I’m gonna do this.” 

“It’s fine. I have other ideas,” she assured him, sitting up onto her knees to meet his face with hers. She kissed his neck, sliding her hand down the front of his pants.

“My god, I don’t deserve you,” he said breathlessly as she stroked his hardening manhood inside his pants.

“Shh. Yes you do.” Nora continued to stroke him with one hand as she undid his pants with the other. His breathing quickened, and he nearly lost his balance again. She slowed the work of her hands to a stop and pulled away. “Sit back.” She helped MacCready prop himself up at the head of the bed, his back leaning against the bed frame. “Is that ok?” She asked him.

“More than ok.” 

He pulled her face into his to kiss her. She pulled away to very carefully work his pants off of him. She straddled his stomach, being mindful of his bandages. She kissed him, grinding her pelvis against his abdomen, pleasing herself on him. He could feel her wetness on his stomach and his breathing quickened. He grew even more aroused as she satisfied herself against him. He started to push her hips lower with his hands so she would ride him properly, but she refused, continuing her own gratification. This just made him want her more. 

“Who’s the dirty tease, now?” He moaned in her ear.

“Mmmm..me,” She murmured. 

She hooked her arms under his shoulders for support, rigorously thrusting against his abs. She nipped lightly at his neck with her teeth, panting. She breathed pleasure-filled yips into his neck. He clasped her thighs in his hands and ran them up to hold her supple ass as she rode him. He started to rotate his own hips with want. She stopped suddenly, pressing into him hard. Her body shuddered, her pelvis giving small involuntary spasms. She gave a strangled cry as she got off again, her pleasure leaking down MacCready’s stomach. Gasping, she leaned her forehead into his neck as she caught her breath and regained her senses.

“Wow. I didn’t even-”

Whatever quip he was about to spout was quickly cut off as Nora kissed him aggressively. She shifted her hips and took his erection inside her, riding him once more. A surprised lust-filled groan escaped his lips. She was so hot and wet, it almost took his breath away. Nora reached behind him to hold the bed frame with both hands, caging him between her arms. As she ground her hips against his, she pulled on the bed frame to help leverage her thrusts, making him penetrate her that much harder. The wooden frame creaked under her strain. Her breathing quickened as she chased the ecstasy of orgasm again. 

“Oh, god, Nora,” MacCready moaned. She was so wet sliding up and down on him fast and hard. He held her by the waist, matching her thrusts with his own. His fingernails dug into her skin as she fucked him senseless.

“...Nora...slower...I’m gonna…” His ability to speak failed him.

Nora didn’t relent, she rode him ravenously moaning louder with each thrust. At last she let out a final euphoric wail, her hips clenching tightly around him as she climaxed. MacCready continued his own thrusts inside her, unable to stop. Her muscles tensed around him offering such intense friction, the rest of the world fell away. His mind cleared of all thoughts. There was only the white hot pleasure radiating through his brain like a bolt of lightning.

“Give it to me,” she moaned, her lips pressed to his ear, pushing all of her body weight onto him so he would pierce her deeper. “Give it to me good.”

This was enough to send him over the edge. He cried out involuntarily as his body spasmed with pleasure and release. After his final thrusts of orgasm, they sat in each other’s arms, chests heaving. Their bodies glistened with sweat in the early evening light.

“Good god, woman.” MacCready panted, finally finding words. “That was so good I forgot my own damn name.”

Nora kissed his salty neck. “Hmmm...MacCready, was it?” she purred.

He chuckled at her, still trying to catch his breath. She held him tightly, and he returned her grasp. “I love you so much.” He whispered in her ear.

She looked at him and brushed a wisp of hair out of his eyes. “I love you.” She gave him a long kiss before sitting up and climbing off of him. He adjusted himself to a more reclined position and watched her as she walked over to a small wash bowl on her dresser. Nora soaked a cloth in the cool water in the bowl, wrung it out and walked back over to the bed. MacCready looked up at her with tired eyes. He moaned as she set the damp cloth on his chest. She ran it over his torso, washing the remnants of their love-making from his stomach. He caressed her arms. 

“Thanks.” 

“Oh no, thank _ you _.” She shot him a wry smile and wagged her eyebrows at him, making him chuckle.

She draped the cloth over the bed frame to dry and returned to the wash bowl for another cloth to wipe her face and neck before climbing back into bed and snuggling under his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. She placed her hand on his chest, tracing his damp skin with her fingertips. He kissed the top of her head. They lay in bed listening to one another’s slow steady breaths as the evening light dimmed outside. They lay there so long, Nora assumed he had fallen asleep and was starting to drift to sleep herself when his voice surprised her.

“I wish you didn’t have to go alone tomorrow.” His voice sounded hoarse.

She kissed his chest. “I won’t be alone. I know you don’t like them, but the Brotherhood’s capable, they’ll back me up.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Nora looked up to meet his eyes, they shone with emotion in the fading light. 

“I want to go with you.”

“I know.” She caressed his cheek with her hand. “I trust you with my life, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to you out there because of me.” She rested her head on his shoulder once again. “Do something for me?” She asked.

“Anything.”

“Stay here and get better so when I get back, we can do that again.”

A laugh escaped his mouth in spite of his worry. “Good deal.” He hugged her fiercely to his chest, kissing the top of her head. They lay entwined in the bed until sleep claimed them both.


End file.
